Laptops - Thief Magnets

It can not be stressed enough that a laptop requires a different mind set from your desk top PC. Laptops have become thief magnets, attracting everything from common thugs and dishonest housekeeping employees to sophisticated conmen, hi-tech crime rings, and industrial spies.

Physical security :
Unbelievably, almost 40% of laptop thefts occur in the office.
Laptop theft [outside the office environment] another 40%.

Lost laptop exposes almost 200,000 employees to identitytheft
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/22/fidelity_laptop_hp/

Data Security :
It is the data that is most valuable. Whether it's a business or personal laptop, the loss of data may be devastating. The above link is a perfect example.

Is Your Laptop Telling Secrets?
http://security.ittoolbox.com/news/display.asp?i=140328&reftrk=no

Laptop Security Guidelines :
This is a "live" document that is updated periodically as new threats and security countermeasures are discovered. An excellent guide to get you stated in the right direction.
http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/laptopsecurity.htm