One of your key employees left a few months ago. He's now working for your hottest competitor and soliciting all of his old accounts. And he knows your profit margins. Your first impulse is to fire up his old laptop and go digging for proof that he stole your customer list. Good instincts—the contents of that laptop will probably be "Exhibit A" in your lawsuit nailing the defector the wall.

Don't touch that computer. Stop, breathe and hire an IT forensic professional. If not, you'll regret it.

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