Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
•. How.to.go.about.contacting.that.person.or.entity.in.
order.to.retrieve.that.information
That. all. may. seem. pretty. basic.. After. all,. it. is. basically. the.
same.set.of.requirements.we.discussed.when.looking.at.all.of.
the.different.types.of.data.so.far,.isn't.it?
But.I.would.challenge.you.to.give.it.a.try.sometime..Call.
your.telephone.provider.and.ask.them.to.give.you.records.
of.all.the.phone.connections.you.made.in.the.last.month..
This.should.be.pretty.simple.and.I.predict.you.will.be.rela-
tively.successful.
Now,.ask.them.to.provide.you.with.the.records.from.the.
entire.last.year..That.might.be.possible.as.well,.but.you.might.
run.into.a.little.more.resistance,.and.very.likely.some.cost.
OK,. now. it's. going. to. get. a. little. harder.. Ask. them. for.
records.from.ten.years.ago..I.venture.to.say.that.at.this.point.
you. may. ind. that. these. records. are. no. longer. available,. at.
least.not.without.some.research.and.time..The.farther.back.
you.ask.about,.the.less.likely.the.data.will.be.readily.available.
or.even.possibly.still.in.existence.at.all..There.are.simply.too.
many.records,.and.phone.companies,.like.all.of.us,.have.only.
so.many.resources.and.limited.storage.capacity.
Take.it.one.step.further,.and.you.will.hit.the.proverbial.wall..
Ask.them.for.your.grandma's.records.for.any.time.period.at.
all..Unless.you.have.a.legally.provable.right.to.those.records,.
it.is.unlikely.that.you.will.be.able.to.obtain.them.
Here's.where,.in.a.litigation.or.law.enforcement.environ-
ment,.things.can.get.complex..Telecom.service.providers.all.
have.strict.rules.about.what.they.will.release.and.the.require-
ments.for.release.of.those.records.to.other.than.an.account.
owner..And.well.they.should.
For.law.enforcement.or.an.attorney.or.court.to.obtain.rele-
vant.records.for.a.case,.they.have.to.go.through.legally.defen-
sible. procedures.. This. could. mean. requiring. a. subpoena,. a.
warrant,.or.a.court.order..Different.telecommunications.com-
panies.will.have.different.requirements.and.different.levels.of.
