The popularity of laptop computers is soaring and I am not convinced that is necessarily a good thing.

Oh, I know, they are fabulously convenient and can be taken just about anywhere. And with wireless technology, an Internet connection is never far away.

But you can read about the biggest problem with laptop computers just about any day of the week in the newspaper. Look at the most recent menu of incidents:

- On June 30, it was reported the FBI recovered a stolen laptop that contained the Social Security numbers and personal data on 26.5 million military veterans and current soldiers. The computer had been missing for eight weeks. Burglars stole the computer from the Maryland home of a data analyst. A Veterans Affairs spokesman became a front-runner for the title of Master of Understatement when he said the recovery of the laptop and external drive was a "positive note in this sad saga."

- On June 23, Reuters reported the Federal Trade Commission, responsible for protecting Americans from fraud and identity theft, had two of its own computers loaded with the personal information of about 110 people stolen.

- The Washington Post reported that 14,000 city government workers in the District of Columbia are worrying about the theft of a laptop computer that contains their private financial information from a financial firm.

- According to the Associated Press, Equifax Inc., a supposedly trusted collector and distributor of confidential information, was victimized when an employee's laptop computer containing Equifax employee names and Social Security numbers was pilfered while the employee was traveling in the United Kingdom. Information for as many as 2,500 of the company's 4,000 employees may have been stolen.

- And PC Magazine reported the Providence, R.I., YMCA informed its patrons that a computer containing the customer records of approximately 65,000 individuals, including debit card, credit card and social security data, was stolen from the YMCA's locked administrative offices.

All of these stories are from June and are by no means inclusive. But the list is enough to scare the hell out of you. It does me.

Of course the big problem is not the theft of the computer equipment itself. That is a small cost compared to the havoc that can be caused by thieves who steal credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and other forms of personal data. The theft and use of that information can signal the beginning of a long ordeal involving identity theft for any number of people.

The number of stories published leads me to believe that if these are the incidents we know about it, what don't we know? Unfortunately, we probably know a lot less than we should.

We can't be Luddites and avoid the information age. But the number of incidents certainly seems to be a signal that something is wrong. Computer security can be compromised and as fast as experts work to make it better, some other misguided genius is working to slip past the latest defenses.

But the latest rash of laptop thefts would seem to be avoidable. If you were entrusted with a laptop with the personal information of everyone you knew and everyone who worked for your company, wouldn't you be more careful?

Until security is actually secure, the best thing to do is keep a sharp eye out for anything irregular involving your name, your personal numbers and financial accounts.

Managing Editor Dave Dawson avoids using laptops because he has a hard enough time keeping track of his car keys. He can be reached at ddawson@herald-review.com or 421-7980.