These days the best way to apply for jobs, and the way most companies expect you to apply, is online. Considering all of the things you have to worry about when putting together your CV, as it is, whether or not you have protected your identity is probably the last thing on your mind.
But as this article on UK-based website Prospects explains, your CV can be added to the list of things that could be used against you.
The first thing you may not even think about, but should worry about, is whether or not the company you are sending all of your personal information to is who they say they are.
According to one study mentioned in the article, "[the Secure your CV Campaign] posted a fake job advert for a bogus company called Denis Atlas. A cursory web search would have revealed the company's home page explaining that it was all a fake and yet over 100 hopeful job-hunters still sent their CVs in. Of this number nearly all the applicants revealed some form of information that could have given ID fraudsters a way in."
According to some investigators, most job applicants don't realize that the information on a CV can be used to set up fraudulent IDs. The information present in most is sufficient to set up bank accounts or get credit cards.
So, when you send out that resume, try using companies and websites with secure servers requiring you to enter passwords. Also, spend some time doing research on the company just as you would before a job interview. Finally, try to remove as much private or intimate information from your CV as possible while still giving the company enough information to reach you in case they are interested.