Identity theft, as most know, is rampant. That's why most of us go at lengths to protect our Social Security Numbers, credit cards, passports and birth certificates.

Similar to people riding the coat tails of our credit ratings, as well as personal and professional backgrounds, some attempt to horn in on our networks. And, while most of your contacts may forgive you once you explain what happened, you can take some actions now to protect your network:

Spam is a four-letter word. Your email contact list can be jacked by hackers. They can use your saved list of contacts to get free leads and even make it look like you've sent an email out to all of them yourself. Protect your network by installing - and continuously updating - a firewall (like Zone Alarm) on your computer. It's also a good idea to use web-based email services like Yahoo! Gmail and Hotmail. While it's not impossible to hijack web-based email accounts, it's a lot harder than doing so in Outlook.

It's 11 o'clock - do you know where your cell phone is? If you lose your cell phone, it costs you money, a lot of time and embarrassment. After all, your important phone numbers are in it. But if you have a Blackberry, iPhone or other multi-purpose, can't-live-without communication device, chances are you have a lot of other information stored on it. Lose one of these and you put your personal and professional network contacts' phone and email information at risk. To thwart misuse of this information, password encrypt your phone, back up your data and notify everyone in your database if your phone is lost.

Invest in a LinkedIn.com upgrade. Sure, you'd like to think all of your first-level LinkedIn.com contacts will play nice and not horn in on your other contacts, but that's not always the case. Most on LinkedIn know and follow the written and unwritten rules of etiquette, but some ignore those ground rules and horn in on their contacts' contacts uninvited. While LinkedIn.com has instituted protocols banning users who send invites to a certain number people they don't know, you can further reduce - if not eliminate - the hassle to your contacts by opting for an upgrade. By upgrading for a nominal fee, you can eliminate prying eyes from seeing who is in your network.

IN THE CARAVAN: Protect your network by instituting security protocols on your computer and cell phone, and also by upgrading your LinkedIn account.

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