Protecting yourself from identity theft is important.  Some of the risks involved I have already mentioned.  Identity theft can happened to anyone.  Protecting yourself from identity theft takes proactive effort. You can't simply assume it's not going to happen to you and go on about your life -- it can happen to anyone. It even happens to celebrities. Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, Robert De Niro and Martha Stewart have all had their identities stolen. (Obringer, 4). 

It just goes to show that you can never be too carefull when it comes to identity theft.  We all need to be cautions everyday.

Here are some ways you can protect yourself against identity theft.  This information is from the same article by Obringer, page 4.

DON'T give out your Social Security number unless it is absolutely necessary. Many companies collect more information than they really need. Make sure that it's something they have to have and make sure they'll protect your privacy.

DESTROY any unwanted credit card offers. This means rip, shred, burn, whatever you can do. These pre-approved offers come almost daily. If you don't want the three major credit bureaus to sell your name to these companies, you can "opt out" by either writing to the three major credit bureaus or by calling (888) 5OPTOUT (567-8688). This will remove your name, for two years, from mailing and telemarketing lists that come from TransUnion, Equifax, Experian, and INNOVIS. You can also write to the Direct Marketing Association's mail preference service to have your name removed from some mailing lists.

SHRED (cross-cut) any sensitive documents before you throw them into the trash. This may seem like an extreme measure, but dumpster diving happens all the time and turns up a lot more personal information than you may realize.

REVIEW your credit report every year to make sure there haven't been any new credit cards or other accounts issued (to someone other than you) and to make sure there haven't been inquiries by people you haven't initiated business with. There are also services you can subscribe to (such as CreditExpert) that will alert you to any changes in your credit file.

These are just a few ways to protect yourself against identity theft.  Not only from the web, but from everyday occurances.