Just down the road from where I live a research firm called Javelin Strategy and Research produces some great insights into identity theft and who commits it. For example, according to a 2005 study by the company the vast majority of identity thefts are not internet-based and the thief is much more likely to be much closer to home.

For example, 35% of reported identity thefts were committed by a family member or friend, 18% by a neighbor, and 23% by dishonest employees or co-workers. This doesn't eliminate the threat of online attacks, whether it's a hacker using spyware or keyloggers to grab your personal information from your computer or an organized crime gang stealing your information from an online database. But it should be yet another reminder that technology alone won't defeat identity theft, and that personal vigilance and planning are still the best free security defenses available.