MyLaptopGPS

About 107,400 patients of Baylor Heath Care System, a Dallas-based system of hospitals and outpatient centers, are being notified of a recent laptop theft.

According to Jaikumar Vijayan’s article in Computerworld Security, approximately 7,400 patients’ Social Security numbers were stored on the laptop, along with data on an additional 100,000 people whose information did not include SSNs. The additional 100,000 people’s records contained a “limited amount” of health information, Baylor said in a statement issued November 4, 2008.

The first irony of this theft is that it occurred in mid-September. Yes, two months ago, a laptop was stolen, and no one was notified until about a week ago.

Second, the theft occurred on the cusp of the installation of new encryption technology and laptop-tracking technology.

Third, the entire situation could have been avoided had someone from Baylor been cluing into this blog about two months ago, and realized the simplicity of MyLaptopGPS’s laptop tracking system.

Instead, over 107,400 people are monitoring their credit reports and crossing their fingers that none of their sensitive data is in the wrong hands.