Ways to protect yourself online, Chances are fairly high that you’ll be a victim of cyber crime. In just the last two years, about one in five online consumers have computers that were hacked into, have been infected with a virus or malware or have experienced identity theft, according to a “State of the Net” research study released by Consumer Reports in June 2009.


Susan Brenner, a professor of law and technology at the University of Dayton School of Law, who has been published extensively about cyber crime points out, “If you’re running on a computer connected to the Internet, your computer could be taken over and used as a ‘zombie computer’ for attacks on others, have viruses installed on it and so on.”

Just being connected to the Internet is enough to expose your computer to a virus or your email inbox to a scam.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to guarantee your safety short of abstaining from the digital world completely. But there are some steps you can take to make sure you’re as protected as you can be.

I spoke with several experts including Brenner, Audri Lanford, who along with husband Jim Lanford directs scambusters.org, and Jennifer Leach, who manages the OnGuard Online website for the Federal Trade Commission, and based on their suggestions, have compiled five easy measures consumers can take to safe-guard their digital data.

via: discovery