Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina says it was "chilling" to actually see a copy of her personal phone records that company investigators surreptitiously obtained after she had left HP.

Fiorina originally had called for the boardroom leak investigation that ultimately spiraled out of control and embroiled HP in a scandal that has produced criminal investigations and a Congressional hearing.

But in her new book, Tough Choices, the woman who was ousted from HP early in 2005 says the investigation she launched stayed well within legal parameters. After she was gone, however, the probes became more illicit and the investigators even turned on their previous chairman and CEO.

Her book hits the stores less than a week after Patricia Dunn, the recently ousted chairman at HP, and four others were indicted on felony charges of fraud and conspiracy.

InformationWeek asked readers to send in questions they'd like to ask Fiorina. And there was an overwhelming response. The former HP leader, the first woman in that position, elicits strong reactions across the board--from negative and angry to supportive and thankful. We received a fairly equal measure of both, and we put many of these reader questions to her. For her part, Fiorina seemed eager to take them.

In a far-ranging interview with InformationWeek the day after her book's release, Fiorina talks about her gut reaction to seeing her stolen personal information. She also talks about the current pretexting scandal that has rocked HP, along with her rear-view mirror look at the Compaq merger, her take on the "HP Way" philosophy, and her dismissal from the company.

Q: How did you react when you found out that you had been pretexted?

It's funny you ask that. Just two days ago, a reporter handed me a copy of that report and I have to tell you it was very chilling to read that report and see my name and my phone numbers... It really is a very strange feeling. At first, I was [angry] and then, like the rest of it, it just made me sad. I understand why people feel their privacy had been violated. I felt that way.

Q: In both her Congressional testimony and in her 60 Minutes interview, Patricia Dunn said board members shouldn't expect too much privacy. Do you agree with that?

No. People do expect privacy for their personal lives and their personal affairs. It's one thing to say if you are using company property and resources for company purposes that the company has an obligation to understand what you're using it for. If there is fraud going on in the company, the company needs to know that. We had a situation at HP where an employee said there was a child pornography ring running in the factory. We had to investigate. It turned out to be true and we had to fire employees. In this case, well, first of all, leaking confidential information is wrong. It destroys trust in the boardroom and also harms the company. But violating privacy is also wrong.

Q: HP CEO Mark Hurd said in a press conference on Sept. 22 that the company had reached out and apologized to everyone who had been pretexted. Did you receive an apology?

No, but I'm not asking for one.

Q: What do you think HP needs to do now?

When you have tough issues, whatever they are, you have to put them right up on the table and talk about them. You can't pretend they're not there and forget about them. It's uncomfortable for some people but that's what needs to happen. People lost perspective. It was a failure of judgment, as well as ethics. Talk about that, so employees and customers understand it ... Dysfunction happens when people won't deal with it directly. Set aside personal agendas and talk about the real issue.

Q: In your book, you talk about having your own struggles with board members Thomas Perkins and George Keyworth, who have both since left the board. Do you think the board, and the company, could be better off because they're gone?

There is an opportunity here to create a stronger and better board for what is a great company.