For anyone who loses a smartphone, the cost to replace the hardware should be the least of their worries. The data that resides on the smartphone -- including potentially sensitive company information -- isn’t something you want falling into the wrong hands.

Locking a smartphone with a password isn’t enough. To really secure phones, many manufacturers and third-party software developers are offering ways to remotely wipe the data from a lost or stolen smartphone. Here’s what you need if you’re using an iPhone, BlackBerry or Android.

IPhone
Find My iPhone (Apple.com/iPhone) is a free service for iPhone 4 and iPad owners, and is part of the $99/year MobileMe package for iPhone 3G and 3GS users.

First, register your iPhone by visiting Me.com or by using the free Find My iPhone app. If your iPhone is lost or stolen, you can log in to the website (or on the app through another iOS device) to see its location on a map and remotely wipe the iPhone’s data, if desired.

BlackBerry
Similar to Find My iPhone, BlackBerry owners can download the free BlackBerry Protect (US.BlackBerry.com) app to sign up for the service.

If your BlackBerry is missing in action, you can log in to a protected website to see the smartphone on a map and remotely scrub its data, so no one can access it. There are also a few free third-party tools available, such as SmrtGuard and BuddyGuard Pro.

Android
Google’s popular operating system doesn’t have its own remote-wipe service, but there are multiple ways to remotely wipe it should your Android become lost or stolen.

If you’re running the free Google Latitude, you can always check your smartphone’s location online, but you can’t remotely wipe its data. For that capability, look for a third-party app from a major security vendor.