Safe Searching

For those willing to part with a few bits of personal information, it's easy to track family roots online. But before you start punching in your Social Security number, you need to weigh the risks of identity theft. According to a survey released by the Federal Trade Commission, 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft last year. Half the victims didn't even know how their personal information had been obtained. "It is clear that the proliferation of sensitive personal genealogical information has made it even easier for thieves to steal identities for their own criminal gain, and they can do so in ways that go unnoticed for months," says Gartner analyst Avivah Litan.

Here are some simple steps to help you safeguard your family information. For starters, don't put any information about a living individual on the Internet, stresses Beth Givens of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego. Or at least get the person's permission. If you do place such information online, consider a site that's password-protected by you. And think about starting with deceased grandparents or even great-grandparents.

If you have concerns about information that other people have posted about your family online--such as birth dates of living people or Social Security numbers--contact the relevant websites and your local elected officials. As an avid genealogist says, "I would rather work a little harder at my research than have people put at risk by information posted simply to make genealogical researchers' jobs easier." And finally, experts say to order your credit report twice a year to stay on top of purchases. --By Lois Gilman