Legal Question in Technology Law in Wisconsin

Large ISP gives access to my e-mail account to unknown party TWICE

Two times a large broadband internet service provider reset the passwords to my management and e-mail accounts at the request of a party unknown to me.

After the first time my main e-mail box was given to the other person, and my other accounts deleted, I called them up complained and asked them to flag my account so that it could not be changed. Less than 5 hours had passed before they reset my account again and gave access to this other person.

1) I am sure they read all my e-mail as I hadn't opened many messages and they were marked as red.

2) I use this e-mail account with my bank, credit card and brokerage accounts. This person could easily have went to those sites and requested passwords sent to my address which they had full access to.

3) I had usernames and passwords to sites I signed up for saved in the account. They could have read/printed them.

I spent a couple days changing all accounts I could think of to different e-mail address. Nothing funny has happened in the accounts yet.

They seem to be uncaring about fixing this.


Asked on 9/26/02, 10:19 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Lawrence Graves Coolidge & Graves PLLC

Re: Large ISP gives access to my e-mail account to unknown party TWICE

This is criminal behavior by whoever gained access to your accounts. If you live in a reasonably low-crime area, you may be able to interest the folks in law enforcement in this incident. Unfortunately, your diligence in (apparently) preventing any financial loss from these repeated security breaches makes your case less of a priority to law enforcement. You might have a claim in civil court against your ISP, but again your lack of damages means that you are unlikely to get any significant recovery. Frankly, I'm amazed that the ISP hasn't offered you some kind of tangible apology (like free service for a year)....

Best wishes,

LDWG

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Answered on 9/27/02, 9:05 am


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