A Lenovo Shop In Beijing
A customer (L) checks a new laptop with a salesman at a Lenovo shop in Beijing December 13, 2010. Reuters/Christina Hu

It is difficult for most people today not to bring a laptop anywhere they go, most especially when traveling abroad. Laptops are a necessity for work and for keeping in touch with family. They may also contain very important information and files for work or business. It is important to keep one's laptop safe and secure when bringing it on a journey.

Here are some tips to keep a laptop safe while traveling:

Keep your laptop padded

Traveling means shoving luggage in tight spots, stuffing things to keep everything intact and so on.Therefore, placing a laptop in backpacks or together with the rest of the luggage will not ensure that it will be scratch-free. PC World advises to use a padded laptop bag to minimize scratches and protect the delicate hardware.

Turn it off

Another important thing to remember is to shut down the computer before storng it in the bag. Do not be too lazy to keep it in sleep mode. Heat is an extreme enemy of laptop that could damage circuitry and shorten its battery life.

PC World recommends to turn the device off and just open it upon landing and settling in one place. Putting the laptop on hibernate mode is not the same either - it still uses power that heats up the unit. Turn it off. It is always best to be safe than be sorry at the end.

Write down your laptop's serial and model numbers

Several reports also noted that it is also wise to keep the laptop's model and serial numbers in case something bad happens. It will come handy and help owners recover lost or stolen laptops. These numbers are usually found at the bottom of the laptop.

Tech Radar notes that it is always best to use a password or lock the device with password. This will slow down anyone trying to access the device.

Travel safe with a laptop following the mentioned tips above. Lastly, do not forget to keep an eye on it all the time to avoid losing it.