When I first began to have interference with my email, I made the choice to switch from Windows to Linux for accessing the internet. Learning to use Linux was the best choice I ever made concerning my computer privacy. And for those wanting to be self employed via internet income, I heartily recommend learning to use Linux for security.
Linux vs Windows
Yes, there is a bit of a learning curve. Some of the jargon is different, but they are quite similar. There are many versions of Linux, each a little different, but they are all available free (unlike Windows). A Linux info site: http://www.linux.org/ I use PCLinuxOS.
Security
There are at least 2 ways to use Linux as your operating system instead of Windows. First, you can eliminate Windows from your hard drive and install Linux. Second, you can leave Windows as your computer's main operating system and boot to Linux on a DVD or thumb drive when you turn on your computer. Third, you can physically remove your computer's hard drive and just use a DVD/thumbdrive, and store your pictures, documents, etc online or another thumb drive. (Without a hard drive, there's no place for malware to install itself.)
My choice is the second one. Just to give a quick rundown, I boot to Linux and the OS program is temporarily placed in the computer RAM (computer memory which is cleared when computer is turned off). This means that anything I do, the passwords I used, the cookies, the malware sites I visit and trojans I collect have NO effect because they all disappear when I turn the computer off. The same is true if you burn Linux to a DVD and use it, no malware can implant itself on a DVD because once the DVD is burned, there is no way to access it.
EMAIL
Shut down the email access port on your computer (browser) and use an online email like gmail, hotmail, hushmail, etc. This access port is often the means via which snoop malware will transmit your private information back to the perp who installed the malware. With the exception of a few pieces of hardware (ie: keylogger, etc), all spyware and malware are software and once installed, live somewhere on your hard drive.
Access your online email accounts using Linux for complete privacy (at least that's been my experience for the past 8 years).
INCOME
I do not access my bank or any other financial account online. It may be a bit inconvenient, but I don't have to worry about it at all if I don't have anything set up. I opt for a USPS stamp and pay all my bills by mail, not online. For those few financial places I do use (Paypal, Amazon, eBay), I have NEVER had so much as one tiny problem using Linux. Most hackers tend to focus their attention on Windows, and have left Linux pretty much alone.
If you are considering selling online, or setting up a business website, consider using Linux. I'm not saying it is 100% guaranteed secure, but it is probably 98 times less likely to experience the intrusive problems you will have using Windows.
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