A day that passes without news of a stolen notebook or laptop filled with confidential data is becoming the exception, rather than the rule. McAfee's just-announced file protection program is touted as keeping files private when a business computer unexpectedly goes "public."McAfee Anti-Theft File Protection uses the metaphor of a secure data-vault to make its point.

The $29.99 program for Windows XP (with SP1) and higher systems uses 256-bit encryption -- plus user password -- to keep data in the "vault" away from prying eyes.

McAfee says the new tool works independently of other installed security software.

At $29.95 this one might be worth a look, particularly if set-up and operation are consumer-friendly enough to make it likely to be used by mobile but not-necessarily-tech-savvy staff.

One reminder, though:

McAfee notes that 2 million laptops are stolen each year, half of them holding confidential or sensitive data. (More than half, I'd bet.)

According to some sources, two-thirds or so of all users write down their passwords.

With that in mind, what I'd like to know is how many of those stolen notebooks had easily accessible passwords in unencrypted .doc or .txt files-- or even screen-pasted Post-Its with passwords (don't laugh: I've seen this more than once.)

A McAfee vault or any of the other effective file-encrypt/file-protect systems out there only works if your team doesn't let the key to the vault get stolen along with the machine the vault resides on.

Here's an earlier bMighty take on keeping mobile devices and the data they contain safe.