How fun to get something like this in your e-mail box at midnight:

‘On Monday, May 17, the University of Michigan Administrative Information Services determined that a small selection of personal student data elements may have been exposed to some individuals within the University community through the Wolverine Access Web site. The data elements that may have been viewed include UMID, Social Security number or National ID, and home address information. It has been determined that this situation may have existed between February 9 and May 17, 2004.

‘We are notifying you as a precaution because there is a slight possibility that your personal data may have been accessible to someone within the University community who was not authorized to see this information. Because of the obscure nature of the vulnerability, we believe it is highly unlikely there was unauthorized access of student information during this time. However, as a precaution, we encourage you to observe practices like monitoring billing statements for accuracy, checking credit reports, etc. Identity theft has become a growing concern in our country and these are good practices to follow as a matter of course.

‘If you believe your Social Security number has been used fraudulently, file a police report …’

That’s a laugh. Been there, done that; a friend had his i.d. compromised 10 years ago this month. The official police line: ‘It ain’t defrauding you if someone gets your SS# and gets credit cards and runs up debt; they’ve defrauded the companies involved not you, so dry up and blow away.’ So, he was forced to declare bankruptcy. He’ll finally be free of said 10-year bankruptcy next Dec. 24.

And people wonder why I have a cow when some outsourced, offshored corporate lackey in the Philippines or India asks me for my date of birth or ID when I call MCI to correct this month’s phone bill screwup.

Thanks, UM! (Ain’t computers and technology and the internet grand sometimes?)