Synopses & Reviews
New computer viruses are released everyday, spam continually overloads our inboxes, identity theft is in the news daily, and system crashes seem to happen for no reason! Figuring our how to protect your computer against all of these problems is a challenge for every user, so Protecting Your PC was written to help you keep your computer safe! It provides a detailed guide to the many risks that affect your interaction with your computer, including spyware, adware, spam, viruses, personal identity theft, and a variety of surreptitious tools used by hackers. Then it teaches you about the tools and techniques available for preventing these hazards from wreaking havoc on your computer. The book is divided into six major areas, including Getting Started, Malware (pop-ups, adware, spyware, etc.), Networking, the Internet (email, instant messaging, chat rooms, phishing, spam, etc.), System Maintenance, and Protecting Personal Information. So whether you use your computer for work, family finances, homework, or just for surfing- you'll learn how to have a safe and enjoyable computer experience! What you'll learn: * What the major computer hazards are and how to address, prevent, and fix them * How to protect your computer from viruses, spyware, adware, and personal information theft * How to stop spam and avoid pop-up ads * What potential system and security issues come with instant messaging and chat rooms * How parents can protect children on the Internet * How to avoid viruses, worms, and Trojan horses * How to surf the Web safely using firewalls and intrusion detection * How to back up and recover from a disaster, install operating system patches, create secure passwords, and protect personal and confidential information The book also includes a CD-ROM with Norton Internet Security 2006 trial software from Symantec that allows you to implement the lessons from the book and start protecting your system immediately.
About the Author
Ian Barile (Los Angeles, CA) is currently a principle software engineer for Symantec, where he designs various security solutions for Symantex AntiVirus. He has also worked as a software engineer for embedded and distributed systems, and is a regular contributor to Dr. Dobb's Journal.
Table of Contents
Introduction Part I Getting Started Chapter 1 The Whats and Whys of Computer Security Chapter 2 Where Are You At? Part II Malware Chapter 3 Viruses, Worms, and Trojans Chapter 4 Stopping Those Pesky Pop-Ups, Putting an End to Spyware Part III Networking in the Home Chapter 5 Getting to the Internet, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Chapter 6 Stopping the Hacker Onslaught Chapter 7 Going Wireless Part IV The Internet Chapter 8 Untangling the Web Chapter 9 Locking Down Internet Explorer Chapter 10 Shopping and Banking Online Chapter 11 Email, How Private Is It? Chapter 12 Spam--Its Not Canned Ham Chapter 13 Phishing, Dont Give Away Your Personal Information Chapter 14 Securing Your Email Client Chapter 15 The Dos and Donts of Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms Part V System Maintenance Chapter 16 Filling the Holes, System and Application Patching Chapter 17 Saving Yourself from the Delete Key Part VI Protecting People and Information Chapter 18 Passwords Chapter 19 Protecting Your Privacy, Personal and Confidential Information Chapter 20 Kids, Computers, and the Internet Appendix A Web Resources Appendix B Security Checklists Appendix C The Law, Computers, and You Appendix D About the CD-ROM Index