Identify theft is on the rise. This article gives you tips to protect your computer. It contains some of the typical stuff, such as keeping your virus software up to date and installing Windows updates, but I thought these three points are well-worth emphasizing:

-- Be extremely cautious about clicking on links or file attachments that arrive via e-mail or instant message. E-mail and IM networks are the most popular ways to spread viruses and worms, and many will appear to have been sent from someone you know. If someone sends you a brief message urging to you click on a link, consider sending a reply message or calling the sender to verify its authenticity.

-- Be careful what you download. Take a minute or two to research software you download before you install it; you may get more than you bargained for. Also, avoid downloading programs from "peer-to-peer" (P2P) file-sharing networks popular with song swappers; a large percentage of these programs harbor viruses, spyware or other unwanted pests.

-- Browse the Web with an alternate browser. Much of today's spyware is foisted upon users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser. Consider surfing the Net with a browser that is not so cozy with the underlying operating system, such as Firefox or Opera.