Most folks pay no attention to security. Other folks overestimate the problem–they overestimate the vulnerabilities that exist. Neither of these is the best approach, of course.

The overestimators will assume that every person in the airport is studying their laptop screen over their shoulder–like the song made freshly famous in the GEICO commercials (Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me”), just waiting to steal all their private information via photographic memory.

The underestimators will assume they can view any document, any site, any content and nobody will notice or steal any of the information.

In reality, it’s of course neither. It is not all that common to have information stolen “over the shoulder,” but it definitely does happen. A good solution is to use a “privacy screen shield.” This device limits the viewing angles at which your screen can be seen. Somebody at more than a straight-on perpendicular angle will be unable to view your screen.

Many vendors offer these shields, and they’re a good idea when traveling.