You Thought You Were Safe? 6 Myths and Realities of Online Security

Even at the best of times, surfing the Web involves a delicate dance between security and freedom. After all, while you have the freedom to visit any site in the world, the thought that your favorite website might be infected with malware can put a dent in your plans. And, as the recent furor over the NSA, Prism, and the federal government's access to our online information has highlighted, when it comes to privacy on the Internet, nobody is completely secure.

For years, security experts have offered a more-or-less unchanging menu of advice. But do things like shredding your documents and changing your passwords really keep you safe? To find out, I talked to Bo Holland, founder and CEO of identity theft protection company AllClearID. Here are his thoughts on the most important moves for ensuring your safety ... as well as the ones that aren't quite as important anymore.

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Bruce Watson is DailyFinance's Savings editor. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971.