HP Investigators Used the Same Tools as Phishermen and Fraudsters

Technology has taken away a lot of personal privacy. We often "cringe" when fraudsters and phishermen try to steal our personal information, but the sad truth is that there are many "so called" legitimate people out there doing the same thing.

Jon Schwartz of USA Today reported:

In snooping on a reporter to pinpoint internal news leaks, Hewlett-Packard used high-tech tools common to spammers, phishers, retailers, suspicious employers and investigators.

Those tools, including phishing-style e-mail and tracing software, underscore the growing use of electronic surveillance to monitor consumers' every digital move, computer-security experts say.

Misleading e-mails from HP investigators to CNet reporter Dawn Kawamoto "smacked of phishing tactics" to trick her into divulging information, says Dave Jevans, chairman of the Anti-Phishing Working Group.

USA Today story, here.

What the computer security experts might be referring to are "keyloggers."

If you would like to see how (anyone) can use this technology, link here.

Unfortunately, it doesn't take a private investigator, or computer security expert to electronically invade someone's privacy.

My question is - with the abuses of this technology - why is it legal?