Identity theft is a constant threat for almost everyone. If you have a social security number, then you are burdened with the need to protect it from being compromised. If someone gains your personal information, they can use it to do all sorts of malicious things that will completely mess up your credit and your finances. Victims of identity theft frequently end up spending months upon months settling all of the problems that arise from having their identity stolen. Sometimes you can even end up owing a great deal of money. So, you should do everything you can to protect yourself.

First, you should take preemptive measure to prevent your information from getting in the hands of thieves. Never throw away sensitive documents that contain things like social security numbers, bank account numbers, or anything else related to your finances. Instead, run them through the shredder, or dispose of them in some other way that renders them unreadable. This will take care of many chances that a thief would have to get your data.

You should also be careful when doing anything on the computer. Phishing is when a hacker simulates a web site that you trust, for the purpose of getting you to enter your personal data. You could also fall victim to a keylogger, which transmits everything you enter to the hacker. So, you should equip your computer with the latest anti-virus software in order to protect yourself from these threats.

You may also choose to get identity theft insurance in the event that your data is stolen somehow. Identity theft insurance costs around $20-30 per month. If you have your identity stolen, it will cover many of the costs involved in recovering. They will pay for things like phone charges, mailing charges, attorney costs, and fees incurred from the companies that you deal with during your attempt to recover your identity.

You can find many other resources for preventing or dealing with identity theft. The Identity Theft Resource Center is a non-profit organization with a web site located at http://www.idtheftcenter.org/. They have countless tips on how to deal with all steps of identity theft: how to prevent it from happening, how to initiate the recovery process, and how to safeguard yourself against future attacks on your identity. So look into it, and make sure that you are doing everything you can to prevent it from happening to you.

Leaving your computer hooked up to a direct connection without firewall protection, either by software or hardware, is like leaving your house unlocked all the time. Worse yet, you have a sign hanging out front saying ”Come on in!” When you are connected to the Internet, you literally have access to the world. What some people forget is that this is not a one-way mirror. If you can see out, that means anyone on the Internet, with the right program, can see into your computer as well. Not only that, but they can plant a program into your computer (a Trojan, or virus) so that they can access it not only at that very moment, but in the future as well.

• Install a firewall to protect your information. Remember that your ports are open doors that allow traffic in and out when your computer is connected to the Internet. Many people believe that if the company they shop with or bank with is protected, their own PC is protected. That couldn’t be further from the truth. You still need to put a firewall between your PC and the Internet to keep crackers and hackers out when you are online. This has nothing to do with the transactions you do with a bank or merchant. When your computer is online it can be tapped by anyone at any time, completely separate from the transaction you have just completed. Crackers could see any part of your hard drive: your tax records, the account numbers you placed in the computer for record-keeping, your bank information, even your letter to Aunt Mary.
• Install reputable anti-spam and anti-virus software. Most reputable anti-spam software programs today are also programmed to identify known viruses, which could contain Trojan horses as well. Many threats are delivered by email, specifically spam. A good anti-spam program like EvidenceEraser will help reduce your risk of inadvertently opening an email that contains a threat.
• Keep your anti-virus, firewall and operating systems updated. Best Practice: Set your computer to update the Windows system automatically for critical updates. This procedure can be set to run during the night or whenever you please, but it should be set to automatic updating. Set antivirus software to update daily, so that when it scans (either scheduled scan or real time scan), that it is running with the most recent virus information. Do NOT let your antivirus subscription run out! Many users with cable companies or DSL companies may find that those companies will provide free antivirus software! After all, they don’t want you on their network spreading a virus to all their other customers. Time Warner (Road Runner) has free downloads for one year of Computer Associates AV software, and it is very good. Check with your provider about what they offer! If you see a “time to update” notice sent by the supplier of your operating system, do so.
• Be certain of BOTH the source AND content of each file you download! Don't download an executable program just to "check it out." If it’s a Trojan, the first time you run it, you’re already infected! In other words, you need to be sure that you trust not only the person or file server that gave you the file, but also the contents of the file itself. Remember that a virus or Trojan horse might cause your friend’s computer to automatically send you the questionable file. Many viruses and Trojans are sent from unknowing friends who contacted the virus, which then used their email addresses to send it to….YOU! In general, there is no reason for even a friend or colleague to send you an executable (.exe, .com, .pif, etc.) file. When in doubt, ask them first before opening the attached file. Be aware that “free” programs or spam might also contain a troublesome file. If you download commercial games or other software from unknown shareware sources or “spam,” it’s just a matter of time before you fall victim to a Trojan or virus.
• Be cautious of dealing with pop-ups. This is a perfect place to plant a virus or Trojan program. You never know who wrote the program, or that person’s intent. If you don’t know the supplier, do not allow it to run or install!
• Beware of hidden file extensions! Windows by default hides the last name extension of a file, so that innocuous-looking picture file, "susie.jpg", might really be "susie.jpg.exe", an executable Trojan! To avoid being tricked, unhide those pesky extensions, so you can see them. This is an option selected in Windows Explorer under Tools\Folder Options\View. Make sure to “Apply to all folders.” That way the final extension will show in all programs. Also, your antivirus software should spot misnames file trick. Your AV software IS up to date, isn’t it?
• Don't be lulled into a false sense of security just because you run anti-virus programs. Many anti-virus programs do not protect against all viruses and Trojans, even when fully up-to-date. You need both virus protection and firewall programs to be fully protected against hackers and intruders.
• If you are an online multi-gamer type , do not publish your I.P. address on websites or newsgroups, unless you are very sure that you are fully protected. You would be much better off logging into others’ game servers, instead of inviting others to log onto your game server at a precise I.P. address.
• Backup your system! One of the best ways to protect yourself in the result of a virus attack is to have a clean set of backup disks/tapes/CDs that will fully restore your system (without the virus) and the applications you are using. Too often, home computer users fail to protect themselves in this manner. With CD burners and accompanying software being relatively inexpensive, a full system backup can quickly restore your computer in the event that your hard drive has to be reformatted. If you have the ability, USB backup drives are now available for about $200 which come with backup software, and can schedule backups at your required times. This is a much more convenient method of getting good backups, and can be scheduled for once a week or so to automatically do a new backup.
• Turn off your computer when not in use. If you are not connected to the Internet, because your computer is off, you cannot be infected, hacked or hijacked.
• Use common sense. When in doubt, assume the unknown attachment is a virus. Pay attention to virus alerts. Don’t even consider trying to outsmart those who have created these malicious programs. Reconsider storing personal information in your computer. Transfer it to a CD and use the CD when you need the information. This is especially true of passwords, Social Security Numbers, tax and financial records.