If you're one of the millions of Americans who travel with a laptop PC for business or pleasure, are you sure you're properly protecting your computer companion?

According to tech security giant Symantec, a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds in the U.S., and 97 percent of them are never recovered.

Losing the computer itself may be the least of your worries when you consider the valuable data that reside on it: financial records, passwords, private documents or irreplaceable digital photos.

"The key to protecting your personal or business data is encryption and backup," says Peter Firstbrook at Gartner Research. "With encryption, you are preventing someone from accessing your information, while backing up your data is a safeguard in case your laptop is stolen, damaged or lost."

With that in mind, here is a look at software and hardware solutions for protecting your laptop, and perhaps more important, the critical files that reside on it.

ENCRYPTION

An encryption program can protect selected files or folders on the hard drive from prying eyes.

"People believe password protection is enough, and it isn't," says Marty Leamy, president of security software maker Pointsec Mobile Technologies. An expert can crack a weak password in minutes, Leamy says. Security experts recommend encryption programs, which generally require very strong passwords. You can try many of them before you buy at www.download.com.

BACKUP

Backing up your valuable information on the road is also important. Flash memory drives — which snap into your laptop's USB port — are a tiny, fast and inexpensive solution to protecting your data.

The rugged SanDisk (www.sandisk.com) Titanium Cruzer USB drives ($54.99 for 1 gigabyte of memory or $79.99 for 2GB) offers built-in encryption software to prevent a thief from accessing your files.

Computer users who need to back up a lot of information might opt for an external hard drive (a 250GB model can be found for less than $100).

"If you haven't backed up all your important information, you'll be sorry if you accidentally drop your laptop while in line at the airport," Firstbrook says.

BIOMETRIC SECURITY

Many laptops now offer a fingerprint reader, so you — and only you — can access your important files and folders. Usually this biometrics scanner is located near the keyboard or just underneath the laptop's LCD screen.

Manufacturers such as Lenovo (www.lenovo.com) and Sony (www.sonystyle.com) offer fingerprint readers on many of their laptops, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (starts at $959) and the Sony Vaio TX notebook series (starting at $2,299).

TRACKING SERVICES

Some companies specialize in helping authorities track down your laptop if stolen, while a few PC manufacturers also offer this as an additional service, such as Lenovo's Computrace.

Firstbrook, however, says these services may not be an ideal choice.

"We don't necessarily recommend tracking down the machine, because the PC itself isn't too important," says Firstbrook.

Tracking services, which may use GPS signals or silent alarms when connected to the Internet, may be better for when the authorities are trying to crack a larger theft ring rather than recovering individual computers, Firstbrook says.

HOT-SPOT HIGH JINKS

Also be careful when logging online in a wireless hot spot — such as in a hotel, cafe or airport lounge — as you may not be logging onto a valid wireless network.

A new kind of phishing attack has surfaced, where computer users believe they're signing on to a public wireless network with their credit card, but it's really someone nearby with a wireless computer attempting to steal your identity.

It isn't uncommon for hackers to camp out near hospitals, companies and coffee shops with the intent to prowl for personal data, says Robert Seliger, CEO of Sentillion, a data-security company. He and others suggest consumers ask businesses who their wireless network provider is before signing on.

UNDER LOCK AND KEY

Finally, laptop-toting travelers who visit airport lounges or cybercafes may consider physically bolting their laptop to a desk or other secure object.

Think of it like a computer version of a bike chain: A steel cable is connected to a small security slot on the laptop, usually along the side or back, before being tethered to a large or heavy object.

Kensington (http://us.kensington.com), for example, offers a key-based MicroSaver DS Notebook Lock ($54.99) or a MicroSaver Combination Notebook Lock ($39.99) with a keyless four-wheel combination-lock style.