The only way to 100% protect yourself from identity theft is to only deal in cash, in person.
If you became a victim of CC fraud, there's just as good a chance it was the clerk at the local department store or mall, or the waitstaff at your favorite restaurant, as some nefarious on-line data hacker.
Also, identity theft doesn't necessarily involve stealing credit or debit cards, or banking info. An identity thief can use your DL#, your SS#, your name and address and a whole bunch of other public info tidbits to assemble enough info on you to create their own credit cards, ID's and bank accounts in your name.
About fortifying your computer.
Most identity theft comes from the vendor end, not your computer. So, the first thing is to make sure you only deal with reputable vendors with proper data protection measures.
There are ways to help keep your info from being intercepted. Look for a plug in called "HTTS Everywhere". This plug-in will attempt to ensure you are always connected via a secure channel, like your bank would use. If a vendor does not offer an SSH connection, don't send them any sensitive information.
Then, there's the obvious things. Keep your Operating system, anti-virus and firewall updated.
I purchase on-line for nearly everything but food. I've been doing it since it became possible and never had a problem. The way I see it is that every time you hand your CC to a waitress or shop clerk, you are putting yourself in FAR more danger of Identity theft than you are if you buy online from a reputable vendor.
If you are really concerned and don't mind spending the money, you can subscribe to Identity Guard or a similar service. Personally, I think these companies prey on fear, but they will guarantee to fix the problem for you, so if it makes you sleep better at night........
