Do you use the same password or pin for everything? Is your password something about yourself that everyone knows (a family members name, your birth date, etc...?) I can understand why, I work in a cubical and log into many different systems not including the other web sites, voicemail boxes and online email clients I log into at home. It is easy to get overwhelmed with some many passwords and one would think the best thing to do is keep them all the same. Well the problem is that if you do it everyone else knows this as well. Follow the below tips to do your part in keeping you and your companies personal and sensitive data secure.

1. Don't Use the same password. Keep your passwords different. If someone gets your password for one system you log into and you use the same password for all of them they have access to anything you log into.

2. Don't store passwords a piece of paper Believe it or not at lot of people keep their passwords written down taped somewhere in or around their computer. All someone has to do is look around your desk or under your keyboard and surprise they have access to everything. If you have to write it down, make sure you dispose of the paper quickly. Don't write on your desk calendar or sticky note and forget about it.

3. Use different formats for your passwords Use letter, numbers and special characters if you can in your passwords. For example you could use f1oor! M0m&D@d or 2happy* These are simple to remember and use numbers and special characters.

4. Change your passwords randomly and don't use a pattern. Almost as bad as using the same password for everything is using a pattern. For example if your password is Joe1 the next time you have to change it do not use Joe2 then Joe3. Change it completely. No matter how inconvenient it is systems and websites that have you change your password on a regular basis, make you use a combination of letters and number or special characters are for your protection.

5. Don't share your password! Don't ever share your password. I know most corporate policies tell you that and a lot of people don't follow this rule. Say you share your password with one of your co-workers and you use the same password for everything. You have now just given complete access to that person.

6. Tool that help. I know it can be a lot of work to keep up with your password and to even think of a new one every 30 or 60 days. Search the web for a number of password managers, password generators and encryption software.

You are responsible to protect yourself. These are just a few tips that can help assist in the battle against identity theft.

Feilpe Walker is the owner of Felwen Design and has managed help desks for 8 years and providing software solutions to small businesses for 4 years. His website can be found at http://www.felwen.com