An investigative reporter digs through cyberspace to get the goods on people like you.

How many people know your name and approximately where you live? Lots, including hundreds you've never met. Each of those people has the keys to your private life. Just imagine them by the glow of a computer screen, harvesting bits of your personal profile as though they were apples on a tree. It can happen.

To find out just how much personal data could be gleaned online, PC World hired me to dig into the personal lives of four individuals. The results of my two-week investigation were extensive (see table), but they only scratched the surface of what is actually available.

I had only one ground rule in conducting my investigation: I could break no laws. Armed with a computer, a modem, and several free and fee-based services, I began searching for information on two high-profile, yet relatively private individuals--Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen and reclusive author Thomas Pynchon. Then I turned my attention to two "average" volunteers, whom I'll call Betty and Bob. Both are in their 40s, live and work in the Los Angeles area, and both, as my digging revealed, are divorced.

As you might expect, even the most private celebrities can't keep their personal lives out of cyberspace. My queries about Allen and Pynchon turned up hundreds of pages of fa

cts. Once I had a date of birth or an address, I searched a database that provided header information from credit reports. Suddenly I had detailed profiles that included social security numbers, current and prior addresses, and more.

Getting the goods on Betty and Bob was harder, but eventually I had a good picture of them, too. Motor vehicle data came in handy. Bob owns two cars and a motorcycle, a fact that certain marketers might like to know. In Betty's case, motor vehicle records even led me to her America Online screen name--it was the same as the nickname on her vanity plates. And though it's not necessarily the most useful information, I uncovered the names of each subject's victims, enemies, and former friends: ex-spouses, ex-significant others, plaintiffs in lawsuits, and others who might want to rat on the person.

Who cares if people can discover your address, date of birth, vehicle preferences, or AOL screen name? You should care. Remember, my investigation was conducted through legitimate means. With the data I've gathered on Betty and Bob, I could wreak havoc using their identities if I wanted to skirt the law. I could obtain copies of their birth certificates, then use these to apply for driver's licenses. I could get full credit reports, apply for credit in their names, and run up their bills. Heck, I could even send change-of-address notices to their banks and creditors, redirect their mail, and take off with months' worth of checks, credit cards, and other personal information.

Though this kind of identity theft is unlikely to happen to you, it will happen to someone. You can trim your odds dramatically by being careful about the personal information you volunteer and the places where you volunteer it.

Consider the cautionary tale of two hikers. When they spot a grizzly bear barreling their way, one of them sits down on a log, removes his hiking boots, and dons his jogging shoes. "You're crazy if you think you can outrun a grizzly bear," his buddy tells him.

"I don't have to outrun the bear," the first guy says, "I just have to outrun you!" The moral of the story: Don't be an easier target than the next person.

Don Ray