Protecting YOUR Identity & Information

So periodically something like this crops up (too often in my opinion) http://ht.ly/vAUjf

and what can we do about it??

I just called Paypal and a very helpful customer service person in the Business Security area (cause I have a business account at Paypal) advised:

1. change your passwords every 60 days (the IT dept I once worked in still says every 30 - depends on your tolerance for change I guess)

2. make your password more secure by NOT using the following as passwords: Password, default, 123456.

3. Do not use that same password across platforms. EVERY financial thing should have it's own separate, unrelated password and then the same for things like Ebay, Amazon, Gmail etc.

4. choose two numbers - say a year... that will be significant only to you   so for me it might be 14.  For you it can be any year that means something to you (so it makes it easier for you to remember)  but is not your birth year, your age  or the birth year of your kids or your husband ...

5. choose a word at random...

6 add two symbols.. like #

End result? A very strong password

AS for the Heartbleed bug?? follow the suggestions in that article.  And keep an eye on your financial accounts til this gets "plugged"