Safe traveling requires to keep protected your data, and that is not an easy task.

The NYT has written an article with useful ideas for that. I summarize it in ten bullet points.

• Before using computers in cybercafes and hotels, check if their security program is up to date. Avoid any banking business and entering of your credit card number. If you have to user your e-mail, when you get home, change your password.
  
  Know that these public computers are notorious for having malware on them, including "keylogger" programs that record users' keystrokes and capture screenshots to collect log-in information. They could even have physical keylogging devices fitted onto the back.
   
• Public Wi-Fi networks are full of sniffers that capture and view traffic. Even, a hacker could infiltrate your PC by making his computer appear to be a legitimate Wi-Fi hot spot. 
  
  Therefore, use a firewall -they are included free in recent versions of Windows and Mac laptops- and make sure information you send is encrypted. 
   
• Get online using cellular services or "tethering" with your mobile device, though that may increase your data fees. 
   
• Consider using a removable privacy screen ($20 to $60 for laptops, $5 to $15 for iPhones and Blackberry) to make it harder for neighbors to sneak a look.
   
• Back up your laptop's data. Laptop loss and theft at airports are rampant. Take it into the bathroom avoiding to entrust it to a complete stranger; do not put it in checked luggage. And consider buying a laptop lock ($20 to $50) to use if you leave the computer in your hotel room. 
   
• Using a password to lock your computer provides little protection; someone with know-how can bypass it in minutes. It is more effective to use a password manager to store and encrypt your passwords.
  
  An even better idea is to use full-disk encryption. You can get quality software free (BitLocker in Windows Vista and 7 and the open-source tool TruCrypt for Windows, Mac and Linux). 
   
• If you do lose your laptop, a service like LoJack for Laptops (starting at $40) can help you track it down or remotely delete your data.
   
• Connecting your smartphone to Wi-Fi hot spots, the security issues are the same. 
   
• Turn it off your Bluetooth if you don't use it. Intruders can use it to read contacts, text messages and other data stored in your phone.
   
• iPhone users with MobileMe service can use the "Find My iPhone" feature to locate their device on a map, set a password lock remotely, display a message on the screen, make the phone ring even if the ringer is off and erase all content remotely. 
  
  People with Windows Mobile can do the same, at $5 for each function.