title: Wake EMS laptop is missing: Oh No, Not Again link: https://onemoretech.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/wake-ems-laptop-is-missing-oh-no-not-again/ author: lembobro description: post_id: 563 created: 2008/02/01 13:04:45 created_gmt: 2008/02/01 13:04:45 comment_status: open post_name: wake-ems-laptop-is-missing-oh-no-not-again status: publish post_type: post

Wake EMS laptop is missing: Oh No, Not Again

Just a quick post on a headline out of The Triangle’s own News and Observer. From the lead-in:

Wake County Emergency Medical Services officials waited eight days to file a formal report on the suspected theft of a laptop containing names, addresses and Social Security numbers of as many as 850 patients transported by county ambulances.

Wake EMS Laptop is Missing by Sam LaGrone.

What immediately came to mind was, “there outta be a law”. Then after I thought about it, “or maybe a publicly owned broadband wireless network that would let these guys put their data on a secure central server, kind of like the ones many cities are working on (often opposed by the commercial for-profit telecoms)”.

Finally it hit me. Living in one of the largest concentrations of tech talent in the country, what had I, or others with similar skills who are served by Wake EMS, done/not done to help that organization with their tech needs? As for me … well I did make my annual donation, but did nothing else. I can’t speak for others, but maybe this incident is a call to those with knowledge of encrypted file systems and other forms of computer security to volunteer.

Something to think about.

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