1. Set up your defenses.
Do you have adequate firewalls and antivirus software to protect you from hackers who could steal your customers and company identity?  The best security software goes beyond standard protection to improve the performance of your computer. For example, protects against viruses, spyware, and hackers. It also backs up all your important files and tunes up your PC by routinely defragmenting your hard drive and compressing temporary files. Plus, it automatically downloads security fixes.

2. Stay abreast of the threat.
A recent phishing scam in Brazil caused Web browsers to land on criminal sites that looked identical to well-known bank sites. The phishers used HTML e-mails encoded with malicious Trojan horse programs. If the security settings on a recipient's computer were too low, just opening the e-mail would make changes to an essential Windows component.

3. Encrypt everything.
Any sensitive data, or information that might help an ID thief or hacker, should be aggressively encrypted. Upgrade your systems frequently with the latest protective software to make sure your systems are as secure as possible. (For technology newcomers: To encrypt a computer is to assign a secret code that prevents unauthorized parties from accessing your data.)

4. Get help from your family.
Human error, or lack of attention to detail, is one of the biggest risks to security.  There are some basic techniques that can help, like changing passwords periodically and using general security and software tools to ensure that your home computers are safeguarded against attacks and malicious programs. Hackers have created programs that are designed to grab information from your computer, without you ever knowing it.

5. Don’t store credit card numbers.
Never, never, never!!!  You do not need it, the Payment Card Industry Standard forbids you to store them, and it’s too risky.  Plus, there’s one more reason you should avoid keeping credit card numbers: If you don’t have them, you can’t lose them. And a hacker or identity thief can’t get to them, either.

6. Buy a shredder – and use it.
Documents with confidential information can fall into the wrong hands when they aren’t properly disposed of.

7. Mind your mobile devices.
A laptop computer is stolen approximately every 53 seconds.  Not to mention cell phones and other devices that connects to a computer.  Be mindful of the dangers you face when you travel with your mobile devices, and report a loss immediately.

8. Run your updates.
Hackers are constantly discovering and exploiting new vulnerabilities in computer operating systems and networks.  Keep your systems patched.  You should have Automatic Updates enabled on your Windows-based computers. As security fixes are released from Microsoft, your computer systems will be automatically be updated.

9. Research your Internet service provider.
Unfortunately, the company providing your business with Internet access can offer easy access to your private information.  Not all ISPs are created equal, especially in terms of their commitment to security. Before signing up for service, ask if they’ve ever been hacked.  Just see what they say. If, for example, they blame their users for having their passwords guessed, that’s not a good sign.

10. Know what to do when it happens.
Have a security plan in place.  Have a plan in case a breach does occur.