Protecting yourself from hackers.

I recently finished reading a captivating book on catching computer hackers called "The Cuckoo's Nest."  This non-fictional account of the endeavors of a man trying to defend his network of computers, as well as those networks connected to his network, has reminded me of the risks inherent to the public nature of the Internet. In the book, the threat of hackers connecting remotely to computers and mucking around is a real one.  Today, many of the limitations described in the book that limit the speed and effectiveness of the hacker are no longer present, and we need to be extra cautious because of it. As the Internet has progressed to be far more powerful and interconnected than the rudimentary Internet from the book, the threats everyday users face have grown continuously.
We need to reevaluate the security of our online accounts and our computer networks.  If a hacker were to intercept a password, would he be able to access your email, bank accounts, and credit card information?  I presume that most people reuse a common password for most of their online accounts.  Have you considered the implications of this practice?  Protecting our computers and our online information is much like protecting our homes.  We need to make sure that we are the only person who has the key and we need to be vigilant to notice any anomalies.
For more information on protecting our online presence, I recommend visiting the Internet Safety Wiki and reading articles of this nature.