Q:I enjoy the convenience of online shopping and banking, but I'm worried about protecting myself from identity theft. What are some precautions I should consider to keep my social security number and financial information secure?

A: Identity theft is a serious problem. According to an article in Loss Prevention and Security Journal, as many as 750,000 may be affected each year. However, in most cases the culprit got the victim's personal information through "traditional" sources, such as stealing mail, rummaging through trash, or by copying it from the hundreds of records that dozens of organizations store on every one of us.

If you do shop online, there are reasonable precautions to follow:

• Know with whom you are dealing. Just as you probably wouldn't give your credit card number to a vendor you'd just met at a swap meet, you might hesitate to place an order with a company that you've never heard of.
• Avoid sending personal information via e-mail. E-mail is particularly vulnerable to unauthorized access. Never send a credit card number or social security number to anyone via e-mail.
• All reputable vendors use secure web sites. When you go to the order page, the location should start with https:// rather than http://, and many browsers will pop up a window to tell you you've reached a secure web site. Don't enter a credit card number if you're not using a secure web site.
• Be very cautious in entering your social security number, even at a secure web site. While some financial institutions require you to use your social security number, never type it in to a web site unless the company has the information already, and the web site is secure.
• Whether you shop online or not, you are vulnerable to identity theft. At least once a year order a copy of your credit report from the three major reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) and check for any unusual transactions.