Portable electronic equipment has helped businesses empower rank-and-file employees. However, companies must make considerable capital investment in this equipment, which becomes even more valuable once employees begin to use it to hold and develop the company's proprietary information. To safeguard portables and the intellectual property to which they make authorized users privy, companies should establish guidelines and portable equipment loss control plans. Such plans should include: (1) Inventory oversight -- label all portables with inventory or serial numbers, possibly bar codes; (2) Smart storage -- limit access to areas where portables are stored when not assigned, and store the equipment in inconspicuous containers with no overt product labeling; (3) Travelers' advisories -- train staff to keep portables in their possession at all times when traveling; (4) Information protection -- two-tiered password systems or data encryption, for example; and (5) Management controls -- written policies that specify procedures for safeguarding portables and related software, users' obligations, consequences of an employee's careless behavior, and continuing education and training in loss prevention.