Print this page and save it, because you won't often see sentences like this one: Mass lawmakers are stepping up and doing something about this.

According to reports, the law would be one of the first of its kind in the United States, forcing retailers and other companies along with government agencies and nonprofit groups to pay for losses if financial data is stolen

Check it out. Massachusetts, the collapsing tunnel state, is going to make companies responsible for the critical customer data they keep, and punish them for mishandling and losing such data.

Proponents hope the Massachusetts law would prompt retailers to invest more heavily in security technology and trigger other states to pass similar legislation.

And there's the reason I'm quoting this story from Network World. This means a lot to security software and even hardware vendors and VARs. The companies that collect and keep your private financial information will have real incentive to keep it private, just like banks and hospitals already do. Every once and a while, we're reminded that Massachusetts is an ok place to live.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to leave the office to negotiate the unplowed roads and get home in time for dinner.