> From: Choate, Paul@DDS [mailto:pchoate@DDS.CA.GOV]

> That was my first thought too, the data was in SAS. :) > > Unless the dataset was compressed or encrypted it wouldn't be > too hard to open it up with notepad or excel and get the > SSN's out, if they were stored as character. If they were > numeric it would take a little more doing. > > Anyway, SAS is probably also on the machine, or why else > would he have taken it home in a SAS dataset? If it is > passworded then code with the password is likely on the machine. > > I also like this article about Best Buy somehow reselling > someone's drive without erasing it.... > http://news.yahoo.com/s/wlwt/20060601/lo_wlwt/9303216 > > Paul Choate > DDS Data Extraction > (916) 654-2160

Many years ago, while I was working on site at the Department of Labor, someone broke into our office over the Memorial Day weekend. They took my PC and one other, both 386's in a room full of 8088's. An inside job was suspected. A month or two later, someone tried to open an Amex account with my social security number (great credit rating!). Fortunately, the crooks were so dumb they used their own soc in the application and their own address. Amex notified me. I don't know that they ever found them. And I have no idea if the two events were related, but probably I had Quicken files or some such with my social. So be careful folks!

Dianne