This week I begin a new series of columns for PC World entitled “Net Work” that will focus on practical solutions for networking and communications problems for SMBs. My first piece is about how you can protect your laptop when you travel.

I have had my laptop stolen once, about four years ago, from the trunk of a locked car parked at a shopping mall. You never forget that experience of being violated, of being stupid. There are a lot of ways that you can be proactive here, and you can read the column for more details.