How can I protect myself while online

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 Every time you give a business personal information like a credit card number or Social Security number, there's a possibility that information can be stolen. Identity thieves can hack servers of legitimate businesses to capture this information; they can also find their way into your home PC through the Internet, or glean valuable personal data from a hard drive you've disposed of but not properly scrubbed clean of all such information.
 
 Take measures to protect personal information if you use a computer and the Internet. Use a strong antivirus product, such as Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2003 (www.symantec.com ) and keep it updated. Also use a hardware or software firewall, which prevents outsiders from accessing your computer. Two good free software firewalls are Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm (www.zonelabs.com ) and Sygate's Sygate Personal Firewall ( soho.sygate.com ).
 
 Encrypt personal files on your PC, so even if a thief steals the files, he won't be able to read the contents. Good freeware programs include OVSoft's PowerCrypt (www.ovsoft.com) and HandyBits' Easy Crypto-Deluxe (www.handybits.com). If you get rid of a computer, deleting files or reformatting the hard drive won't protect your data from determined eyes, either. With the right data recovery tools, it's easy to find, search, and restore "deleted" files. Use software that overwrites the files several times; try the free HandyBits File Shredder (www.handybits.com) or the free AnalogX SuperShredder (www.analogx.com). Strong degaussing magnets also are available that reorient all of the magnetic particles used to store data on a hard drive, but using special software is usually adequate.
 
 Some credit card companies are now offering single-use credit card numbers for transactions made over the Internet. A random number is generated at your request, delivered to you, and linked to your main credit card number for proper billing. Check with your credit card company to see if they offer such a service.