- Protect your Social Security Number, your driver's license number, your bank PIN number, your passport number, and any other unique personal ID's. There is almost never a valid reason to give them out online.
- Make sure your home phone is unlisted with your local phone company, or use a pseudonym. Using just the first initial doesn't really accomplish anything.
- Don't list your home address, home or cell phone numbers in online résumés or other publicly viewable Web sites.
- Use forms on your website for visitors to e-mail you,rather than direct links to your e-mail address.
- If you're job hunting, especially if you're currently employed, you should seriously consider whether you want your résumé on the large job boards like Monster at all. If you do post it, be sure to date it.
- If you office out of your home, get a private mailbox and use it for your business correspondence, domain name registration, etc.
- If you office out of your home, get a separate phone line for your business and use the P.O. Box as the address for it.
- Don't mention your spouse or children by name in a public forum.
- Use a different e-mail address for public postings than you use for private, trusted correspondence. This is commonly known as a spam-catcher.
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David Teten and Scott Allen are authors of the forthcoming The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, the first book to discuss how online communities and other social software can be used to connect with the right people to help you grow your business and advance your career. For more information, visit TheVirtualHandshake.com.