VIP Laptop "Rematerializes" in Office

Verified Identity Pass issued a press release today stating the they have "found" the laptop we reported was missing with over 33,000 personal profiles on it.

According to the firm's head of business development, the laptop was discovered in the office in which it was lost over a week ago. An "initial investigation" has revealed no tampering with the data.

Comments out on the blogosphere this afternoon range from the sarcastic ("that must be one a heck of a large office") to the suspicious ("Probably was put back after stealing the information" and "I would not use that computer - there is probably a hacker chip installed in there now") to the incredulous ("How do we know it's even the same laptop?").

I'm going with the "Gordian Knot" approach on this. I'm assuming VIP simply misplaced the laptop and found it sitting under a paper file somewhere. I am going to assume there was no attempt at cover-up, or no attempt to deceive -because that is the simplest explanation.

But I have a feeling that we're going to hear a lot more of these "discoveries" in future.

"Rediscovering" a laptop that has been reported missing with your entire company's customer base on it - after it has been missing a week - is a lot less painful than watching the story grow and your business shrink.

I am happy to assume this didn't happen in this case, but I'm quite certain folks looking for a quick solution in future will remember this approach, and apply it - safe in the knowledge that like me, most people will accept the news at face value.

Note: I originally read this occurred in NY. It didn't - it happened in SFO.