ALLEN, TX — A new study from the Ponemon Institute and Dell Computer reports about 12,000 laptop computers are lost in airports each week, and about 70-percent of them never are recovered. Nearly half of the laptop losers say their machines contained sensitive customer data or confidential business information.The institute studied 800 business travelers at 106 major U.S. airports. While most companies don’t report losses because their employees often are embarrassed to admit the disappearance, Ponemon said it was able to piece together its report based on theft reports at the airports themselves.

“It’s staggering to learn that up to 600,000 laptops are lost in U.S. airports annually, many containing sensitive information that companies must account for,” Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute, told DarkReading.com. “IT departments must re-evaluate the steps they’re taking to protect mobile professionals, the laptops they carry and company data stored on mobile devices.”

According to the study, most laptop losses occur at security checkpoints or flight gates. Not surprisingly, more than 70-percent of airline passengers reported feeling rushed when they board flights, and 69-percent said they usually are trying to carry too many things onboard.

Among the airports studied, Los Angeles’ LAX reported the most laptop losses: about 1,200 per week. Most airports said they usually keep lost laptops for a period of time before destroying them.

Of the business travelers interviewed for the report, 65-percent said they do not take steps to protect the confidential information stored on their laptops; fewer than 20-percent said they encrypt their hard drives or individual files. Forty-two percent admitted they don’t back up their laptops before traveling.