So much has been said and written about security, I almost didn't write this until I ran into a friend I'll tell you more about, shortly.

Seems like not a day goes by lately when another story about security, identity theft or fraud isn't in the news. Hopefully, the story isn't about you, but are you really all that safe?

Identity theft has to do with many different things and needs your attention to prevent it from affecting you.

Starting with your computers, your PC and your Laptop can be an invitation to the bad guys if you haven't taken the right steps to secure them. Even before we look at ways to protect the information stored in these machines, answer a question... are they physically safe? When you take your laptop with you, is it secure? How easy is it for someone to grab it and run? Believe it or not the statistics are frightening.

Consider the recent case of the Veterans Administration official who had confidential files stored in his personal laptop which was stolen from his home. Could this happen to you? I hope not.

If there is a really good reason for you to have sensitive information, from your job, on a laptop you travel with, consider some of the many things you can do to keep it safe, starting with a physical cable lock which can be fitted to almost every laptop sold today. Also, software programs are available that make it possible to track the whereabouts of the laptop and of course, a fairly simple motion alarm is an inexpensive way to deter a would-be thief.

Passwords are of course, a must for all your computers. Click here for some excellent pointers on the subject. Of course remembering passwords is always a challenge and many of us have resorted to post-its that we "hide" where no one can find them (ourselves included). But never fear, there are programs out there to help you, one of which is Password Vault. It's an excellent program and it's free.

Now that the password problem is handled, what about the question of access to your computers through the Internet? Surely we all know that firewall and anti-virus software are an absolute must to keep hackers out, don't we? Actually, I talked with a friend the other day who said he only uses dial-up and just sends and receives e-mail so he doesn't want to spend the money on either. Of course he is wrong in believing that he is immune to hackers, although they do tend to favor broadband users over dial-up ones. I told him about Zone Alarm Firewall and Outpost Firewall & 2 anti-virus programs, AVG & Avast are all free, so I hope I convinced him to get them.

I also explained how malware and spyware can be ways for the bad guys to steal your identity as well as your bank account and credit cards. Fortunately for him, there are also free programs to detect and remove malware and spyware, 3 of which include Microsoft's Windows Defender (Beta 2) a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, and a new streamlined interface that minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive. Another one is Spybot-Search and Destroy and number 3 is Ad-aware. There are quite a few of these type programs on the market, so I'd advise you to "Google" Anti Virus and Spyware and do some research to see which ones will work best for you.

Another area of concern is the move to wireless connectivity. Most routers being bought today are wireless, which is, of course, convenient, but dangerous. Why you may ask, well, in case you haven't been told or read about it, here's why... when you take the router out of the box, plug it into your cable or DSL box, you are instantly connected via a wireless receiver plugged into or built into your computer. Convenient, yes, but what about the danger part? Simple, to make it easy, the manufacturers don't encrypt the signal, so anyone close to your house can use it. OK, so you're generous and don't mind, but what if that anyone is a bad guy and wants to get into your computer? Or, use your connection to do other bad stuff which you will be blamed for... not so good, right? Fairly simple to fix... go to the homepage of the router manufacturer and you'll find a setup wizard in most cases to rename and encrypt your signal.

Now that all these safeguards are in place there aren't anymore things to worry about, right? Wrong, you still need to be careful out there on the ‘net. By now, most everyone has heard the term "phishing" where you get an e-mail supposedly from your bank, credit union, credit card company or stock broker that warns you your account has been compromised some way or another and you are told to click on a link to fix the problem... do NOT do it. Always go to this kind of page, directly. Type the address into your browser and then connect and do business. Also be careful of going to pages you know nothing about based on an e-mail you received. Many of the programs that can steal your information can be installed on your computer when you visit a fraudulent site.

Now your computers are protected, what else is there to consider? Well, there are those never ending credit card offers that arrive almost every day in my mail box. So, why should I care, just throw them away and forget it. Not a good idea, because, the bad guys are at it again. Ever hear about dumpster diving?

Yup, your discarded mail can be a goldmine for crooks who will use the credit card offer by entering a different address for you and using "your" card to run up huge bills. Best way to avoid this problem: get a shredder and use it for all your sensitive mail before you discard it, and be sure to tell all those companies to take you off their mail list for credit cards. For an excellent set of tips on how to avoid credit card fraud, click here.

You should also take advantage of your Access to Free Credit Reports: The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation's consumer reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer reporting companies. Visit the Federal Trade Commission for more information.

Finally, our old friend the telephone is still one of the most used tools for the scammers. Here's the top ten phone scams of 2005 and how to avoid them.

Now most of this is good, common sense, but it's also easy to let your guard down and skip security... don't... pay attention and you'll be much safer.

That's it for now, until next time, have fun but be safe with electronics and computers.

Aloha, Lou