The first step towards protecting yourself is to ask your agent if they provide Identity Theft coverage. Many insurance companies now offer identity theft coverage either as a standalone policy or as an endorsement on your homeowners policy.
In addition there are things you can do yourself to protect your identity. While conventional preventative methods (such as shredding correspondence with persona information) remain important, one of the most common ways thieves obtain your information is via your computer and internet practices.
1.)
Never enter private information on publicly accessible computers.
Public computers may be infected with keyloggers or spyware which can keep records of your usernames, passwords, and other personal information without your knowledge.
2.) Use strong passwords
Make sure your passwords are at least 7 characters, contain at least one number and at least one capital letter.
3.) Check for software updates frequently
Out of date software can be a serious security risk. Although your operating system and virus software are obviously important, even programs like your internet browser, Quicktime, Adobe, and other software can offer backdoors for hackers to access your computer.
4.) Don't click on links in email messages
Instead, visit the address manually by typing it in. Even messages sent from known email address may be messages sent from an infected computer and visiting an address manually poses less of a risk.