Mark it down to undeveloped taste, but Paris Hilton doesn't usually attract my attention

Nonetheless, the hacking of her Sidekick is a wake-up call for those who have ignored the threats to privacy that we all confront. The New York Times > Week in Review > Some Sympathy for Paris Hilton
This come on the heels of the news that Choicepoint, which assembles all sorts of personal information on you and me.
The key to the vault is the Social Security account number, which was explicitly intended not to be a form of identification, but has fast become a national ID number. Try to open a cell phone account without one. Good advice is to guard your number like the family jewels. Never give it out routinely. When asked to fill out forms that request the number, leave the information blank or write "protected by law". If you have a driver's license from a state that includes the number on the license request that it be deleted. In fact, whenever you are asked for the number, challenge the request. Diligent data thieves and identity crooks can still find it, but the casual crook will turn elsewhere.
Privacy is the basic rights issue of the 21st century. See the privacy rights resources available here.
Kudos to Sen. Charles Shumer for putting the spotllight on the issue.