Laptop theft highlights data security issues

St. Paul, Minn. — A laptop computer with 268,000 Social Security numbers is still missing from a Twin Cities blood bank. Security footage shows the computer being stolen from a Minneapolis building that was preparing for a blood drive on Nov. 28. Memorial Blood Centers, which owns the laptop, is contacting donors potentially affected by the theft.

The news raises questions about the growing role of social security numbers as personal identification and as a key component of identity theft.

Jon Gordon is the host of Minnesota Public Radio's "Future Tense" program and he's been looking into this case. Gordon spoke with All Things Considered host Tom Crann about the security issues of storing personal data on a portable device.