By Michael J. McCarthy, WSJ Interactive Edition May 24, 2000 3:25 PM PT NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Each day, Ted Reeve pours his life into his home computer. He spends hours reading news online and dutifully records monthly payments for his Visa card and Toyota Camry, along with ATM withdrawals at Ralphs grocery store. He regularly types up notes -- from talks with his doctor, and one day wrote up an offer to his landlady to buy his apartment building from her.

It never occurred to him that such personal data could be extracted and shared among strangers. But that's what happened when his computer's hard drive was copied by two investigators retained for his employer, Northwest Airlines (Nasdaq: NWAC). Working right in his living room with a program called EnCase, they excavated every last bit and byte from his desktop hard drive.

As part of a court-approved search, the man and woman arrived at 11:00 a.m.

on Feb. 3, tugging a dolly carrying tool boxes and diagnostic equipment that banged at each step up to the second floor of his duplex. They moved Reeve's PC from its usual place in his bedroom -- near a red, cross- stitched sign that says "Home Sweet Apartment" -- and, with cover unscrewed, spent three hours copying everything on the hard drive.

SNIP The rest is at:

http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2576340,00.html

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