As a consumer, ID theft has to be one of the most overwheling topics there is. Daily we are bombarded with news of new threats, products available for protection and horror stories from victims. Well, let me add to that list of threats - but then offer some perspective.

The latest worry comes from photocopiers, most of which made in the last five years have hard drives that store the images copied. And think of all the sensitive documents you've copied over the years -- tax forms, job applications, medical records, etc. etc. And this is a tough one to combat, since usually you're using someone else's copier.

Now here's the perspective: yes, this is a disturbing idea. But your personal information was already greatly at risk, through no fault of your own. There are so many companies and government agencies that hold your info, there's no way you can guarantee they'll protect it.

So this story is just a reminder of the four things you should already be doing to prevent and detect ID theft:

• Following basic ID theft prevention steps
• Checking your bank statements for unauthorized withdrawals
• Checking your credit card statements for unauthorized charges
• Checking your credit report, which you can do for free three times a year. This way, you'll detect any new accounts opened in your name by a thief.