Online identity protection: 7 safety tips for managing your passwords

Last week I wrote a post about credit-card and identify theft, and since then many people asked me how I protect my passwords online. After all, identify theft can go beyond stealing the contents of your bank accounts or running up debts on your credit card: an identify thief could take charge of your “online life” as well, interacting with your friends online on your behalf. This recently happened to a good friend of mine, so I decided to share some tips. Because simply by taking a few easy precautions, you can ensure your identity stays safe online.

Here are seven effective tips for safeguarding your passwords, and online life:

1. Do not use the same password for everything.

There are many people who use one password for everything because they would have trouble remembering numerous passwords and can’t be bothered to write them all down. If you use the same password for everything and someone gets hold of it, he has access to every online facility you use.

2. Do not use any words to be…