Three more important, straightforward computer security precautions

I had many non-tech friends tell me they appreciated my article about two important computer security precautions everyone should take. So here are three more I recommend:

1. Start using different passwords for everything. I recommend either LastPass or 1Password to help you track them all. These tools take care of auto-filling the password also help you generate super strong passwords.  If you only change ONE password from the default you use everywhere, it should be your email password. If you lose control of your email you could lose control of many online services. (Note: LastPass is better if you use multiple machines, as it seamlessly syncs passwords across browsers in a secure way)
2. Make sure the browser you regularly use has locked-down Java and Flash settings. Mac users are no longer invulnerable to these attack vectors. That article explains what Windows, Mac, and Linux users should do to avoid the whole class of attacks represented by the new Flashback malware.
3. For laptops, store your data on an encrypted disk. Ideally you would encrypt your whole hard drive; OS X has a nice feature called File Vault that will do this for you easily, and doesn't seem to affect the computer's performance.