Tips to be safe from hackers

Hacking is quite a common word these days and more and more hackers or in the Internet who try to get our personal data. The anonymity is a big advantage for these hackers and so they go to any extend to get our personal data. What can be done to avoid this and to have privacy and security in Internet? I was worried and for many days I could not get an answer for this. Then I searched in sites and came to know about Phishing and I was shocked to know such a technology exists. The concept is they will create a fake site which would very much similar to the original and tell us to enter our personal details. What should be checked before entering our details? Even while entering username and password check whether the site has SSL (Secure Socket Layer) which helps us to identify the original site from the phishing site. The other problem is that generally all our personal details are being sold in internet and that is the reason we get a lot of spam in our mail box. What can be done to avoid this? Strike deals on internet with sites and get assurance from them that your personal details are not sold. This is one such site. Have a look at that.