ORIGINAL: wis_bow_huntr
More than likely not running a firewall. Youd be amazed how many times I hear this. someone got my credit card number and its your fault, because we are their ISP. Sorry we have no control over what data you process out over the net. Get a firewall and buy online from trusted sites with the seal of approval and secure transaction certificate.
A firewall only does so much. It offers some protection while working behind it, but the software firewalls out there for home use are so easily defeated that they are practically pointless. Most identity theft occurs from either phishing, or the use of not properly secured E-commerce sights.
Never respond to an email asking for account information. If you feel the need to respond call a customer service number 9 times out of 10 it will be a bogus request. Also, only do online commerce with reputable sites that are properly secured. One of the industry standards is VeriSign. Look for this logo on the web site:
If you see that you can rest assured that it is a reputable and secure site. The biggest weapon you have against fraud is your common sense. If something just doesn't seem right, it usually isn't.