SAN FRANCISCO — Whoever threw a rock through a window and broke into Sutter Medical Foundation’s administrative offices the weekend of Oct. 15, 2011, probably didn’t realize the computer they were stealing could be worth $4 billion.

The PC contained a hard drive with confidential information for 4 million patients, and California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act provides nominal damages of $1,000 per individual for negligently released data.