Al,

I'll throw in my 2 cents worth.

You were asked to defeat the password NOT access any thing on computer.

"I have been asked to defeat the password on this computer (which I am capable of doing) so that the company can access the documents it contains"

So that the COMPANY can access the documents it contains.

Make the company agree that it is up to them to access the data (it's their property, right?)

They should have knowledgable people to access the data.

Get them in and then step away from the machine.

Don't go where you don't need to go.





>I do network support for a small tech (non-computer) company. They are currently at a pre-IPO stage with just a core of fairly senior executive types.
>
>I don't know the company well, nor any of the employees well personally.
>
>They just went through some sort of struggle with the result that one of the employees has resigned effective immediately and has been locked out of his former office. Apparently this employee was responsible for most corporate communications and most of the company's documents are on his computer. Access to the computer is secured with a password, which the remaining employees don't have and which the former employee seems unwilling to provide.
>
>Emotions are running high and legal action between the company and the former employee seems likely.
>
>I have been asked to defeat the password on this computer (which I am capable of doing) so that the company can access the documents it contains.
>
>The company CEO assures me that the computer is the property of company, not the former employee.
>
>While I'm technically capable of doing the work, I'm extremely concerned about the legal ramifications:
>
>- does legal ownership of the computer mean the company has carte blanche rights to all its contents?
>
>- if the contents will become important in a legal dispute does special care need to be taken that its contents are not tampered with after access is achieved?
>
>The last thing I want to do is open myself up to getting sued by the former employee for making this PC accessible to the company (which will likely be his legal adversary).
>
>Opinions, anyone?
>
>(BTW I *am* in the process of finding a lawyer to consult, just thought I'd ask here out of interest)