It's a familiar feeling deep in the pit of your stomach. You're driving down the road and realize your smartphone is missing. Or you're in the airport, and you just realized you left your laptop or iPad behind as you were rushing to the gate.

First, you think of the expense. But then the larger problem begins to come into focus. Your phone or laptop is full of information that is incredibly valuable to you and difficult to replace. And, worse yet, your lost item could very easily fall into the wrong hands. Then you become vulnerable to identity theft.

Fortunately, there are free apps and programs that can help in this situation. With these downloads, your data can remain safe until you are able – hopefully – to track your device down and have it safely back in your possession.

Find My iPhone

Thankfully, you can track your iPhone with Apple's Find My iPhone. It is completely free if you have a new iOS device. To get it for no charge, you need to own an iPhone 4, iPad or fourth generation iPod touch.

With Find My iPhone, you can track your phone using its GPS. Find My iPhone also allows you to wipe your device remotely. This way, even if you are unable to find or recover the gadget, you are still able to delete and protect your sensitive data.