3 Simple ways to keep your email safe:
1. Have a very strong password.
2. Access your email(and other sensitive stuff) only from your own
PC/Laptop. Do not even trust your friends computer.
3. Enable https only setting in gmail or whatever your webmail client us.
Bonus
4. Ditch Windows and use Linux
or at least Firefox or Chrome if you have to use Windows along
with use "AVG 9.0 Identity Protection" ;)