Do not open unfamiliar emails. If you open one you think is from someone you know but realize it’s not, delete immediately. Do not click any links in the message or send the sender personal or banking information. Once you open that link, your computer could become infected by a phishing scam and your information stolen.

Install firewall, anti-virus, and anti-spyware protection on your computer and keep them up to date. Automated updates for your virus scanner and regularly scheduled full scans for spyware is best. Windows users with newer computers can get Microsoft Security Essentials.

Create strong passwords and security questions & answers.A strong password has upper and lower case letters plus numbers and punctuation, forming a non-English word.

Every two months, change your passwords. Use different passwords for your accounts.

Avoid logging into your accounts from untrusted computers. Untrusted computers include any computer that you do not maintain yourself. This includes high risk public computers such as the computers at your local library, but also includes computers that belong to your friends and family that could already be infected with spyware.