Though it may seem like browsing the Web, downloading files, and sending e-mail are fairly anonymous, safe activities, they're not. Just about anything you do online - even simple browsing - can be observed and tracked. And your seemingly private e-mail is not so private; Employers, system administrators, and hackers can tap into your mail at numerous points along its journey.

For starters, you should conduct your online activity under the assumption that it is public. Surprised? Disturbed? Well, don't yank out your modem or cancel your Internet account just yet. Though you can't achieve absolute online privacy, you can still draw the blinds against prying eyes for a modicum of safety and anonymity.

When you send an e-mail it travels through several - sometimes even dozens - of servers on its way to its destination. At any point along that chain, it's possible (though relatively unlikely) for your e-mail to be intercepted and read. Who might be reading your messages? Your employer, your Internet service provider, or some no-good hacker with nothing better to do. But there is a step you can take to keep your e-mail from snoops - open an e-mail account at Safe-mail.