To protect yourself from falling victim to internet scams and malicious attempts to access your private information, here are some good tips to practice at home and in office.

Be smart online. Cyberspace "con-artists" are typified by bogus e-mails advertising "get-rich-quick" schemes or "can't-miss" stocks. These are often teasers drawing users to Web sites with viruses, bot programs or other cyber risks. According to Symantec, China's bot-infected computers make up 78 percent of those in the region. In many cases, anything goes and relatively few rules apply. Remember, if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

Never respond to unsolicited requests for personal information. Be wary of e-mails from organizations or individuals asking for your personal information. Always ask or look for contact information on unsolicited requests and be skeptical. No reputable bank will e-mail you asking you to provide personal information for "account verification." If you believe the content may be suspect, contact the company directly to verify.

Beware of "phishing" e-mails. Phishing is one of the fastest-growing forms of online fraud for identity thieves. Phishing e-mails appear legitimate, often addressing you by name, which makes them even more convincing. These e-mails usually ask you to click on a link in the email that takes you to a phony website, it is best to type the Web address directly into your browser rather than clicking on the link in the e-mail. Be skeptical towards unsolicited e-mails, especially if you have never done business with a company before receiving an e-mail solicitation from it.

Protect your computer well. Get a good internet security software to protect your computer. I recommend Norton Internet Security 2009 or the Norton 360. To get additional protection against zero-day threats and exploits, I recommend Linkscanner Pro from AVG. Invest a little money into these softwares and save yourself a lot of wasted time & effort trying to recover your computer and lost data.