Having to replace a $2,000 notebook after it's been swiped from under your nose is bad enough, but it's only the tip of the iceberg for business owners, Intel says. According to a study on notebook security commissioned by Intel and conducted by the Ponemon Institute, laptops lifted from airports, taxis, and hotels around the globe end up costing their corporate owners an average of $49,246. That number reflects "the value of the enclosed data above the cost of the PC."

Somewhat surprisingly, it's not the CEO's computer that holds the most value, but a director or manager, the study says. Analyzing 138 instances of lost and stolen notebooks, the study values the average senior executive's laptop to be $28,449, whereas a director or manager's laptop is worth twice as much at about $61,000 each.

The well-timed (or strategically-timed) study comes shortly after Intel's "Poison Pill" Anti-Theft PC Protection technology finds its way onto a pair of Asus notebooks.