E-file with confidence

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A recent government report found that the IRS may have compromised the personal information of more than 2,000 taxpayers because of security breaches.

Even the IRS may not be able to keep your info safe, but fortunately there are steps you can take to protect your personal information. Here's what you can do.

The most important thing you can do to protect your information online, is to make sure you have updated anti-spyware, antivirus and firewall programs, says Brian Grayek of security software maker CA. If you are not running these programs, you're putting your info at risk.

Make sure you also have all the latest updates for your computer. If you use a Microsoft Windows operating system, go to the Microsoft Web site on the second Tuesday of the month. This is when the company usually releases them, according to Grayek.

Yes, we've all had password overload. But you want to make sure you use different passwords for Internet sites you visit. You don't want to use the same password you use for your e-mail account as you would for your tax software. Your vital information could be easily compromised if that password is discovered.

Consider using free password storage systems that will hold all your various passwords. Go to handypassword.com or download the Whisper 32 program on ivory.org.

The IRS does not use e-mail to communicate with taxpayers. So don't respond to any IRS e-mail that asks for any information. To check the legitimacy of any kind of communication, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

If you're just looking to check the status of your e-filing, go directly to www.irs.gov Web site. Remember, this is the time when most people are doing their filing. They're rushing to finish their return and that's when scammers try to take the most advantage.

Avoid the temptation of filing your taxes from an Internet café or the library. That's because it's become more common for hackers to put hardware in a computer that will record your keystrokes. The hacker is then able to retrieve your passwords or other personal information.

Even if it's your friend's computer, you don't know if the person before you was on a Web site that may have already been compromised. Your best bet is to stay home and use a computer that you trust.

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