MIA: Watch that laptop!

Here's a grim thought: Up to 12,000 laptops are lost weekly -- yes, that was weekly -- at U.S. airports, and more than 70 percent are never recovered, according to a report by the Ponemon Institute for Dell computers.

Among the worst -- you guessed it -- Miami International. We ranked second among 106 airports surveyed, just behind Los Angeles International. 

The Top Ten for lost laptops:

• Los Angeles International
• Miami International
• JFK
• Chicago O'Hare
• Newark
• LaGuardia
• Detroit
• Reagan/Washington National
• Atlanta Hartsfield
• Washington Dulles

According to the report, the stress of rushing to catch flights and the hassle of keeping up with a multitude of business gadgets are to blame; the process of separating an owner from his belongings during security procedures may also play a role.

Speaking for myself, I'd say jetlag, unfamiliarity with surroundings and the general hullabaloo of being in a place with multiple languages can be factors. Knock wood, I haven't lost a laptop yet, but I've nearly lost several cameras during my travels (just left them because I was too tired to keep up with all my stuff), and it was only by the kindness of strangers that I've gotten them back.

The report was commissioned by Dell computers as part of an effort to market its new ProSupport Mobility Services. But whether you buy the Dell item or not, the report is a wake-up call...and offers some good tips:

• Label your laptop, including full contact information. Yes, that means your cell phone.
• Allow enough time. As your grandmama said, haste makes waste.
• Carry less and think ahead. I don't buy the carry-less theory; my job requires laptop, photo downloader, multiple cameras -- and all have to go carry-on. But thinking ahead about how I'm going to unload at security, and then doing a check to be sure I've got all the bits, certainly helps.
• Take appropriate measures to safeguard data. Encryption and passwords can help.
• Think twice about how much info has to be on your computer. Can you download information less used onto a back-up drive?

Do you have more tips? Share your experience by commenting here.