davidb@pacer.uucp (David Barts) (09/07/90)
klb@pegasus.att.com (Kevin L. Blatter) writes: > I wrote call > accounting systems which utilizes SMDR information for billing or > whatever and our standard practice was if we saw a calling card number > come through that we stripped the information out and classified the > call as a 'charge call' which meant that we would not rate the call. > However, we could have stored the information for who-knows-what > purpose. Of more concern to me is what happens to an SMDR printout AFTER the hotel (or who/whatever) is no longer interested in it. Is it treated as the sensitive information it is (and shredded or incinerated), or do they just toss it into the dumpster and leave it waiting for the next pair of prying eyes to come along? (I have this nasty feeling that the latter is all-too-common.) Before you ask ... YES, I *do* ask the sales clerk for my credit-card carbons (or make sure she tears them up). David Barts Pacer Corporation, Bothell, WA davidb@pacer.uucp ...!uunet!pilchuck!pacer!davidb
jhf@cblpe.att.com (Jeffri H Frontz) (09/10/90)
In article <11905@accuvax.nwu.edu> you write: >Of more concern to me is what happens to an SMDR printout AFTER the >hotel (or who/whatever) is no longer interested in it. Is it treated >as the sensitive information it is (and shredded or incinerated), or >do they just toss it into the dumpster and leave it waiting for the >next pair of prying eyes to come along? (I have this nasty feeling >that the latter is all-too-common.) My sister works part-time as at the front desk of a local hotel. A few weeks ago, her manager was approached at work by someone claiming to be a law enforcement agent who wanted to see the telephone log for a particular room. The manager was about to hand the info over to the supposed cop (who produced neither a badge, ID card, nor search warrant) when my sister interdicted and said that it was certainly unethical and probably illegal to do so. The supposed cop tried to bully them into giving out the info ("We can go to the grand jury and get a warrant" and "Don't you realize that the people in that room are selling drugs to children?") but my sister was adamant (her manager is apparently a bit slow ;-) and insisted that they would have to call the corporate lawyers before doing so. My sister is, I'm sure, rather unusual when it comes to desk clerks. Thus, if you're concerned about a list of your calls falling into the wrong hands, I'd suggest using a pay phone. Jeff Frontz Work: +1 614 860 2797 AT&T-Bell Labs (CB 1C-356) Cornet: 353-2797 att!jeff.frontz jeff.frontz@att.com
jhf@cblpe.att.com (Jeffri H Frontz) (09/10/90)
In article <11905@accuvax.nwu.ede> you write: >Of more concern to me is what happens to an SMDR printout AFTER the >hotel (or who/whatever) is no longer interested in it. Is it treated >as the sensitive information it is (and shredded or incinerated), or >do they just toss it into the dumpster and leave it waiting for the >next pair of prying eyes to come along? (I have this nasty feeling >that the latter is all-too-common.) My sister works part-time as at the front desk of a local hotel. A few weeks ago, her manager was approached at work by someone claiming to be a law enforcement agent who wanted to see the telephone log for a particular room. The manager was about to hand the info over to the supposed cop (who produced neither a badge, ID card, nor search warrant) when my sister interdicted and said that it was certainly unethical and probably illegal to do so. The supposed cop tried to bully them into giving out the info ("We can go to the grand jury and get a warrant" and "Don't you realize that the people in that room are selling drugs to children?") but my sister was adamant (her manager is apparently a bit slow ;-) and insisted that they would have to call the corporate lawyers before doing so. My sister is, I'm sure, rather unusual when it comes to desk clerks. Thus, if you're concerned about a list of your calls falling into the wrong hands, I'd suggest using a pay phone. Jeff Frontz Work: +1 614 860 2797 AT&T-Bell Labs (CB 1C-356) Cornet: 353-2797 att!jeff.frontz jeff.frontz@att.com
kaufman@neon.stanford.edu (Marc T. Kaufman) (09/11/90)
In article <11905@accuvax.nwu.edu> davidb@pacer.uucp (David Barts) writes: >Before you ask ... YES, I *do* ask the sales clerk for my credit-card >carbons (or make sure she tears them up). Why? YOU aren't liable for any charges fraudulently made with your card number. Tearing up the carbons is for the Credit Card company's benefit. Marc Kaufman (kaufman@Neon.stanford.edu)
klb@pegasus.att.com (Kevin Blatter) (09/11/90)
In article <11905@accuvax.nwu.edu>, davidb@pacer.uucp (David Barts) writes: > klb@pegasus.att.com (Kevin L. Blatter) writes: > > I wrote call > > accounting systems which utilizes SMDR information for billing or > > whatever and our standard practice was if we saw a calling card number > > come through that we stripped the information out and classified the > > call as a 'charge call' which meant that we would not rate the call. > > However, we could have stored the information for who-knows-what > > purpose. > Of more concern to me is what happens to an SMDR printout AFTER the > hotel (or who/whatever) is no longer interested in it. Is it treated > as the sensitive information it is (and shredded or incinerated), or > do they just toss it into the dumpster and leave it waiting for the > next pair of prying eyes to come along? (I have this nasty feeling > that the latter is all-too-common.) Of course, this would be entirely up to the powers-that-be, but in my case, there was no hard-copy (except in one case where the chinese manager of a Waikiki Hotel who would manually verify the SMDR output with the calls logged in the system, but that's another story...). Anyway, with the system that I worked with, there was no option to save the information. The best that could be done would be to split the RS-232 SMDR feed and have one line go to the system while the other would be processed by the Call Accounting system. In other words, if we saw a billed-to-third-party call ie. calling card, we simply ignored the 'Call Record'. I do however, agree with Mr. Barts that hotel personnel tend to follow the general attitude in society that a calling card number is somehow not to be considered proprietary information and throw it in bins with the rest of the garbaGarbage. In fact, my opinion is that in general people in this country are ignorant of the way the phone system works. Recently, I had an acquaintance express to me that it didn't make a difference which Long Distance carrier one had since all of the money went to "Ma Bell" anyway! She also couldn't figure out what all the flap was about with the LD wars, using the above argument again. Wow, that's scary! Kevin L. Blatter AT&T - Bell Labs Lincroft, NJ Disclaimer - AT&T probably has a policy on the above opinions, but these opinions are my own.