Questions for some lawyers

[Nazia Noor]

So my laptop got stolen yesterday....

My question is if there is any information made public that was stolen, what are my legal options in going after that person other than charging that person with theft.

I am not too concerned (just a little concerned) about any information about myself being made public as the laptop was wiped clean last week, but with it was a USB drive that had potentially still has some confidential information regarding a company I did some consulting for (may have deleted it--haven't looked at USB in a while). Reports, etc. I do not want that to come out.

If it does.... what can I do? I want to do whatever I can to this person (in a non-violent way) that they will regret ever stealing this.

Yes it was stupid to have left the USB with the laptop, but I didn't think it would get stolen.

For those tecchies....is there a USB drive out on the market that I can put a password onto? If I can do that to all USB drives, how do I do it?

Now to get a new laptop in time for school

Thanks for whatever advice I get.

-Nazia

 

[nihilism]

Can't answer the legal portion. For the memory key, Kingston has a line called the DataTraveler Secure. Information below:
DataTraveler Secure

Kingston's DataTraveler Secure is an enterprise-grade USB 2.0 Flash drive that keeps data safe with 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption.

 

[VikkiBlue]

If you have contents insurance and you file a police report the insurance company will get you a new one...alot of people say that it raises your premium...didn't do a thing to mine.

 

[Nazia Noor]

If you have contents insurance and you file a police report the insurance company will get you a new one...alot of people say that it raises your premium...didn't do a thing to mine.

Fortunately I do have contents insurance but the circumstances surrounding it going missing make it very difficult to file a police report. This should be a warning to everyone to protect everything with passwords. You just never know what will happen.

 

[rhuarc29]

Fortunately I do have contents insurance but the circumstances surrounding it going missing make it very difficult to file a police report. This should be a warning to everyone to protect everything with passwords. You just never know what will happen.

I'm not an expert, but I think if the contents of the USB are made public and used to cast you in a bad light, you can sue for defamation of character provided you have caught the thief. Maybe someone can verify that. Also, if critical information about the company you did consulting for is made public resulting in a disadvantage to that company, I believe that company can also get compensation...whether from you or the thief I'm not sure.

 

[Rockslinger]

but the circumstances surrounding it going missing make it very difficult to file a police report.

"Circumstances", eh?

 

[Nazia Noor]

"Circumstances", eh?

I work for an escort agency. Now think of the circumstances

 

[RAWD]

Holy shit.

This thread just a got a whole lot more interesting.

 

[Nazia Noor]

Holy shit.

This thread just a got a whole lot more interesting.

I am not responding further to make it more interesting. I just wanted some advice. That is all

 

[Aardvark154]

I work for an escort agency. Now think of the circumstances

Perhaps my imagination isn't as vivid as it should be. However, unless your laptop was stolen from an incall establishment. I would still recomend reporting it stolen.

 

[El Mariachi]

Not much advice I can give you as a lawyer. Your best bet is to hope and pray that there wasnt much information or the thief doesnt care about it.

Where was it stolen ? Was it in a car or from your hotel or home or ???

 

[RAWD]

ONLY QUESTION THAT MATTERS HERE - Is there client data (names and numbers, dates and dollars) on your laptop???

 

[djk]

For your next laptop, PGP.

 

[Aardvark154]

So my laptop got stolen yesterday....

My question is if there is any information made public that was stolen, what are my legal options in going after that person other than charging that person with theft.

I'm not an expert, but I think if the contents of the USB are made public and used to cast you in a bad light, you can sue for defamation of character.

Theft is your best option. As to Defamation, without researching Canadian Law on the topic Invasion of Privacy would probably be a better fit as to Nazia Noor personally. * However, the information would have to be released, which I'm sure everyone involved hopes does not occur.


* See: Somwar v. McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd., 2006 CanLII 202 (ON S.C.)

 

[VikkiBlue]

So basically someone in your incall stole it...
I remember when I worked the phones at a well know MP things got stolen all the time...
Id file a police report...however I would talk to management first and see if they might help you buy a new one instead of calling in law.

 

[lovedoc]

Best solution is to wear your usb drive around neck and never forget to pull it out when finished. Using a password to protect your files aren't guaranteed from hackers breaking into your files, it's actually easy to do as there are software available to do this.

 

[Rockslinger]

Query: Where is the market for stolen laptops?

 

[Thunderballs]

There are two separate issues here. First is the theft which if reported to the police will start an investigation by them hopefully ending in them prosecuting the offender. Secondly there is the use of the data. If it is used for criminal purposes, for example identity theft, then this will also prompt a criminal charge to be laid by the police. You can launch your own suit against the perpetrator if you feel that you can prove you were damaged in some way either financially, reputation, etc.

 

[RAWD]

Query: Where is the market for stolen laptops?

Craigslist

 

[Anynym]

How would one sue for "defamation"? The clearest defense against such as suit is truth - if they can prove that what they said was true, then there is no character assassination, only a release of the true character. And to ask them to prove their statements in court only doubles-down the allegation: it raises interest in the assertion, gives them a platform from which to speak, and validates their claim if proven.

In the future, you may wish to keep your data only on two independent USB "thumb drives", each secured by (slightly) different passwords, using something such as this: http://www.truecrypt.org/faq

That software will basically keep an entire folder encrypted (the whole USB if you wish, although that's not really necessary), in a file that can look like a corrupted file to others, and therefore of little interest to them.