Not even a 1-2-3-4 password?

By Pete Kennedy

I spent yesterday helping my 11-year-old son get his new iPod Touch up and running. It was a big day—the culmination of years of saving and birthday money.

Part of the process includes password setup. There is a password at seemingly every juncture. I found it a bit ridiculous.

While the 11-year-old has his iPod protected, the same can’t be said for a laptop loaded with legal information about the mortgage meltdown.

According to reports, including one on MSNBC.com, a laptop that has sensitive e-mail communications about a Goldman Sachs trader at the apex of the mortgage securities meltdown was found in the garbage.

Files intact. No passwords.

New York Times reporters eventually came across the laptop. It apparently has provided them with great background as they write stories about the case.

They’ll get nothing when the iPod Touch eventually makes its way into the trash.