AIBU Distressed after work colleague told me my phone (hotspot) used to access Escort website?

[LonelyRose]

Apologies in advance I'm not up to scratch with the posting etiquette. I've been a long-time lurker here but had no real need to post up until now that is. Also sorry if the title is confusing, I've tried to explain my problem succinctly but its a bit complicated.

I've very upset all week despite putting on a brave face in front of colleagues, friends, and family. Cut a long story short I had problems with my phone accessing the Internet during the past few weeks, i.e. pages not loading, so I handed it to one of my work colleagues in IT who told me he'd look into it. He managed to fix the problem and I got the phone back the same evening (this was on Monday), which I was happy about.

However, as he handed the phone back, he mentioned that while checking for issues, he'd come across logs that showed someone had attempted (and failed) to access an escort website called Adwork numerous times (sorry I don't remember the exact name of the site). Naturally I was a bit taken aback by this as I assumed he meant someone had used my phone while it was unattended. So I pressed him to tell me more. He said that someone had tried accessing my phone's WIFI using a second device (i.e. using my phone as a 'hotspot') so I was quite relieved. With specialist software it was possible to extract times/device names, but we both thought that was OTT as it was probably just one contractors that drift in and out of our office.

However, later that evening I suddenly remembered OH had used my phone as a hotspot last year, and I just don't wanna go down that path whatsoever (I actually feel really sick in my gut as its unthinkable for me). Up till now he hasn't given me any 'suspicions' so I'm kind of angry at myself for even entertaining that thought.

Also surely 1 year+ is a a long time for a phone to be connected to a hotspot. Surely after some time the connection would time-out or refresh and so on simply for security reasons? (Thing is I'm crap with technical stuff like that so I can't be sure).

Sorry if I'm rambling here but I don't really wanna approach my close friends about this in case they think I'm a weirdo or paranoid freak for obsessing about this. I think I am probably being unreasonable but that horrible niggly feeling at the back of my mind just won't go away.

IT guy (who works for the same company OP does!) would know that adultwork was blocked on OPs phone so wouldn’t even attempt it. If he even wanted to.

I think the IT guy tried to access the site using your phone while he was supposedly fixing it

Why would he honestly do it? Chances are there is something in the policy with regards to usage. He would be really stupid to break the policy and alert op to it knowing she could inform her line manager/company boss. And I don't know about other companies, but where I've worked the big boss has always been able to access the same details the IT person can. Much to the amazement of many colleagues at my last place who took the piss when the main IT person was away for a few weeks, the big boss told them all off and burst out laughing at the suggestion he didn't know anything. I did try and give them a friendly heads-up 🤣

Its 2am and I couldn't sleep (OH is fast asleep). I've read all the replies so far and I just don't know what to think right now. I was half hoping the replies would reassure me that I was being paranoid but I'm not so sure anymore. Part of me is worried about approaching the IT guy again cos (haven't seen him in a week) and the fact he's probably gonna wonder why I'm bringing it up again. But anyway I will bite the bullet and ask him about the specific website name and times etc. Thanks everyone for your replies, I will keep you posted if I learn anything more.

. So I pressed him to tell me more. He said that someone had tried accessing my phone's WIFI using a second device

The standout word here is tried. If there was an unsuccessful connection to your phone, the person attempting the connection wouldn't have got on the site. There would have been no active connection to the phone from the other device.

I'd press the IT dept on this and get them to show you all of this in the logs. This would only be in the logs if there was a successful connection to the phone.

This doesn’t make sense. If someone has tried and failed to connect your hotspot, your phone can’t log what websites they try to access.

Exactly my thinking.

I'd also be surprised if the phone had this level of logging (I'm a software engineer, but don't touch mobile dev, so not 100% sure). Whilst they sell phones with "huge" amounts of storage as standard (marketing crap), in reality it really isn't that much. As any tech knows, detailed application logs can take up a shitload of space.

My company can see what I've visited and can access it, and for a very long time after. It's not uncommon with big companies.

It's shouldn't be uncommon for any company and logging this on a company network is a piss easy.

What's being talked about here is the phone being used as a hotspot, that level of logging won't be stored in the phone.

I'm wondering if the techie tried it, got blocked and then felt he had to tell you in case you found out later yourself that someone had tried to access that site via your hotspot?

He couldn't use work computers etc, so maybe had a try with yours??

Just another thought..

I'd be worried about your husband.

I'd be worried about your husband.

I wouldn't be yet, you only have the word of the IT person and haven't seen anything yourself to back up what he's saying.

I’m no expert but I would use my iPad to access my iPhone’s hotspot and never needed to type in a password after the initial connection as long as the hotspot was still discoverable on my iPhone. In addition, the log would properly log any attempt to connect using the hotspot and probably the website address used at the time of the attempt.

You could mention to your H that your company is launching an investigation and your phone logged the IMEI, make and number of the phone that tried to access your phone’s hotspot. If he acts weird or panicked then it probably was him.

You need to get more information from It.

In addition, the log would properly log any attempt to connect using the hotspot and probably the website address used at the time of the attempt.

If there is any logging on the phone, which the general consensus on a quick google of this, there isn't much, site details wouldn't be logged, unless the company has installed third party software to do this.

There may well be a log of device connections to the hotspot, but not detailed web access.

This is my guess honestly...

1. Your DH has your phone saved as a mobile hotspot and regularly uses it (this theory only works if you don't have consistent home wifi and he doesn't have his own data plan).
2. Dh accesses porn and clicks on a linking escort site. Your corporate antivirus blocks it and logs it.
3. IT guy views log of blocked sites. It has to be recent because most IT guys wouldn't be arsed to go back far unless they are creepy or nosey.

I would NOT ask your work IT guy again, it's not something you want to share with work IT. I'd change my hotspot password and then ask DH outright for a straight answer if he'd accessed anything dodgy. I reckon porn clcikbait is way more likely than escort honestly if you have had no suspicions.

Your corporate antivirus blocks it and logs it.

Unlikely AV on a phone.

However if there is something like MobileIron on the phone for remote phone management (got this on my work one), it could be possible this is doing something.

Only reason I've thought about this is because I've just put mine on and MobileIron has taken the phone over, it's a pain in the arse to be honest.

This doesn’t make sense. If someone has tried and failed to connect your hotspot, your phone can’t log what websites they try to access.

I have never heard of this being possible. Where, on my phone or my provider's webpage, can I view what pages my hotspot users have tried to view?

(I was agreeing with that quote btw).

IT guy - sorry but it just is

Where, on my phone or my provider's webpage, can I view what pages my hotspot users have tried to view?

You can't.

To be honest, I would be straight back to said "IT guy" and be saying, show me these logs now and also print it now. A refusal would see me knocking on the door of the Head of IT. You need proof this exists before finger pointing, you haven't seen anything as yet OP, it's all just his word.

For anyone saying don't go and ask again, consider the possibility that there is an internal audit and if this information is in existence and it's found, the next thing the OP knows, she is in a meeting about it. In a decent sized organisation, these audits can be done at anytime (have worked in IT for 30 years and over my career have been involved in them).

You need hard evidence of all of this before there is any finger pointing, which reading some of the posts, isn't happening. That's no good for the OP, who is clearly concerned over this. Simply posting "it's your husband doing this", is crazy, considering nobody has seen anything.

I'm wondering if the techie tried it, got blocked and then felt he had to tell you in case you found out later yourself that someone had tried to access that site via your hotspot?

Same here.

He had no need to be anywhere near your browsing history etc

He's planted a seed in your mind and only he knows why.

In your shoes I don't think I'd suspect my partner necessarily. But I would suspect the last man who had my phone then came to tell me about a porn site.

Perhaps I would look into dates and times of access. But I wouldn't do that via IT guy, I'd go to someone else.

I too would go back to IT for the facts, preferably the manager and in writing.

I second PhilCornwall1 here.

You need to go back to the IT guy and get the proof before you even begin to think about accusing your husband. Accusing your husband is incredibly serious. That kind of accusation can damage a relationship permanently.

Previous posters who say you shouldn't see the IT guy and directly confront your husband are insane. Let's say for arguments sake it was your husband, you can confront him and then he can simply deny it. With just the IT guys word (which as others have pointed out is confusing as hell) it would be so easy to deny it, then you have a nasty situation on your hands.

And your suspicions about your husband are not your only problem. You don't want to be in hot water at work if your boss finds out.

Go back to the IT guy asap and get proof. It's a serious matter, both professionally and personally.

If the IT guy is lying, that's a serious matter and should be taken to the HOD.
If you find out someone has used your work phone to access dodgy sites, that's also a serious matter and should be investigated.
Those are the only two options.
Only way forward now is to get the proof of what the IT guy said.

When I am connected. To work WiFi on my personal phone I am subject. To same security as my work laptop, so I can't for example access the national lottery as is is locked down due to gambling and I get a blocked message.

So the it guy is saying someone was logged to ops work phone via hot-spot and attempted to access a site that was blocked due to her work security protocols, however the attempt was logged - I don't think that anyone is telling porkies as it is entirely possible.

And I would not do via manager in writing, it guy gave her the heads up, but this shows that op has given her password and allowed access to WiFi via work phone to someone who is trying to access escorts sites.

@maddening correct, but does the OPs husband work in the same place? If not and the finger of suspicion is he did this at home, the phone would not be connected to the work network and subject to its restrictions.