Identity thieves have more tricks than ever. So should you.
From Sid Kirchheimer in AARP The Magazine:
Scrub That Software
Every home computer should have security software that updates regularly. Every user needs to resist the bait from con artists who are 
"phishing" for suckers via e-mail. The unseen danger comes from spyware, which sneaks onto your computer to track your actions online. [Some] spyware monitors every keystroke and reports back to a waiting attacker. "Think twice about installing freebie software, no matter how enticing it appears," says Doug Tygar, professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. Messages from strangers always pose a risk. Real banks never send e-mails asking for your account information. Nor will an Internet provider. Rather than click on a link in an e-mail, type the address yourself.
Evade And Escape
Most viruses and spyware are geared to infiltrate [Microsoft’s Internet Explorer]. One way of ducking scamsters is using other browsers such as Firefox or Opera. Another maneuver is to get a second or third free e-mail account so you can segregate your online shopping from banking and private correspondence. And don’t use your name or a familiar word as part of any address.
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