Albert Gonzalez was indicted for conspiring to hack into computer networks supporting major American retail and financial organizations, and stealing data relating to more than 130 million credit and debit cards. If convicted, Gonzalez faces up to 35 years in prison, as well as a fine of $250,000 for each charge.

While it's all fine and good that this alleged criminal will be heading off to prison--what happens to all the victims of his crimes? If any of the identity theft victims have home insurance, they may also have identity theft coverage.

Identity theft coverage, as part of home or renters insurance, reimburses the victim for lost expenses incurred while clearing up the problem. This includes phone bills, lost wages, mail costs, and pre-approved legal fees. The coverage can also include help from fraud specialists to walk them through the identity theft process.

With as many as 9 million Americans becoming victims of identity theft each year, according to the FTC, protecting yourself from identity theft is vitally important. Here are some tips to prevent becoming a victim:

• Never give personal information to anyone over the telephone.

• Keep non-essential cards (medical card, identification badges, social security, credit cards) at home.

• Invest in a locking mailbox. Never send outgoing mail through non-secure mailboxes.

• Shred all documents that include your name, birth date, or other sensitive information, including junk mail. Determined identity thieves will often rummage through garbage cans to obtain discarded mail.

• Make sure you have firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus programs installed on your computer.

• Check your credit report periodically. Consumers are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

• Look in to identity theft insurance with your home or renters insurance.

The Insurance Information Institute says adding an identity theft endorsement to your home insurance policy costs between $25 and $50 annually. That's a small price to pay to protect your assets.