You can help protect yourself and your family from identity theft, fraud, viruses, dangerous email, and more, with these ten New Year’s resolutions:

1. Keep all software (including your web browser) current with automatic updating.
2. Install legitimate antivirus and antispyware software, such as Microsoft Security Essentials.
3. Never turn off your firewall.
4. Protect your wireless router with a password.
5. Think before you open attachments or click links in an email message, an instant message (IM), or on a social network, even if you know the sender. Confirm with the sender that the message is legitimate. Learn more about scams.
6. Before you enter sensitive data, look for signs that the webpage is secure—a web address with https and a closed padlock () beside it are good indications.
7. Never give sensitive information (like an account number or password) in response to a request in an email message, IM, or on a social network.
8. Don't respond to pleas for money from "family members," deals that sound too good to be true, lotteries you didn't enter, or other scams.
9. Make your passwords long phrases or sentences that mix capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Use different passwords for different sites, especially those that keep financial information.
10. Use our password checker to learn how strong your passwords are.