Your smartphone is small, shiny and expensive. That makes it an attractive target for thieves. And, it isn’t just the phone itself you need to worry about.

Your smartphone contains a treasure trove of sensitive data. Think about the data that’s stored on your smartphone. A determined thief could probably uncover credit card numbers. He could find passwords and various account numbers.

You may also have sensitive documents stored on the phone. If it’s a work phone, a criminal could gain entry into your company’s network.

Fortunately, there are tools that will help you in the event your phone is lost or stolen. You can track your phone and even erase your data remotely. No matter what type of smartphone you have, there is a program for you.

iPhone

Find my Phone is part of Apple’s MobileMe service ($100 yearly). It will help you track a stolen phone. GPS coordinates are used to plot the phone’s location on a map. Recently, I used Find my Phone to figure out I left my phone in a restaurant.

Find my Phone has a slew of features. You can play a loud sound to help you find it yourself. If you haven’t set a passcode lock, you can remotely add one to keep your iPhone secure until you have it back. You can also send a text message to the iPhone asking for its return remotely.