Excerpt
PREFACE
The Internet can be a painful experience. Hackers invade our personal computers,steal from us, and humiliate us. Computer viruses destroy years of ourhard work within milliseconds. Corporations and governments watch ourevery move, invading our privacy in an Orwellian nightmare from which wecannot wake.
Why are books on Internet Security in such fierce demand? It is becausethey empower us to fight back. The media constantly reminds us of how vulnerablewe are. We are inundated with reports of viruses such as Melissa, ofgovernment spyware such as Carnivore, and of an Internet teeming withthieves. Above all, we fear hackers, the inscrutable criminals who invade themost private parts of our lives.
Our primary goal in writing this book was to make it easy to understand.Material of this gravity should be explained carefully. The Internet itself is confusing,and Internet security is one of its most esoteric aspects. Thus, we havetaken great care to explain difficult topics in the most clear and compellingterms, using familiar examples. For instance, we describe how a hacker exploitsbuffer overflows by comparing it to rearranging a stack of music CDs.
There is a pressing need for the depth and clarity of our book. With theadvent of always-on, broadband Internet connections, home users and small business owners are now in grave danger from both hackers and malicioussoftware. With knowledge and training, these threats can be minimized.Unfortunately, however, few resources exist for beginners; most security booksare written for expert users. For example, it is impossible for a beginner tounderstand a buffer overflow if he does not even know what a buffer is.
Our book assumes no prior knowledge of computers. In the first part, wereview computer architecture and operating systems, explaining the securityimplications of each component. The pace quickens as we delve into the com-puterunderground, analyzing the psychology of hackers and virus writers.Next, we examine how the Internet works, explaining communication networksin great detail. We also thoroughly explain the TCP/IP protocol withclear and simple analogies.
Part II is more technical and describes exactly how hackers execute theirattacks. We tackle social engineering, data sniffing, session hijacking, bufferoverflows, and SYN attacks. Although this material is quite advanced, it is neverthelesscrucial for the novice to master. Therefore, we compel interest byusing an actual walk-through of an attack as seen through the eyes of a hacker.
Part III empowers the reader to fight back. We inculcate the four basic elementsof Internet Security: backup and recovery, encryption, firewalling, andvirus scanning, with instructions on how to implement each. A special chaptertakes a refreshing approach to personal firewalls and gives an objective reviewof the most common programs. In addition, since Network Shares are such animportant vulnerability, we spend an entire chapter with instructions and diagramsexplaining exactly how to secure Network Shares under each Windowsoperating system. We then strike back at hackers by explaining how to usebuilt-in Windows tools to track them down. This section also covers e-commercesecurity and gives an introduction to computer viruses and antivirustechniques.
Part IV helps readers protect their anonymity and privacy on the Internet.It includes a treatment of computer ethics and why they are so important inthe new world order. We explain how to disable the "cookies" that Web sitessecretly place on users' computers in order to track them across the Internet.Similarly, we cover corporate spying: how employers monitor the workplace,and how to block this spying.
Part V is a more advanced section designed for those readers who feel readyto learn computer virus debugging skills for themselves. This section includesa walk-through of the risky steps for disinfecting viruses and Trojan horses. Italso includes a chapter on restoring a computer from scratch after a viral infectionhas rendered it useless.
In summary, this is the easiest-to-understand introduction to Internet security,bar none. We have endeavored to cover this difficult field in a didactic formatthat appeals to both beginning and intermediate users. A glossary of key terms helps newcomers, while an annotated bibliography directs those readerswho are ready for expert level.
In order to maximize the utilitarian benefit of this book, we have targetedit toward the preponderance of Internet users that rely on the MicrosoftWindows operating system. Because of the universal demand for the informationin this book, we have excluded regional differences as much as possible inorder to serve a worldwide audience. Although the material is focused onWindows 95/98/Me/2000/XP, the subject matter will embolden all Internetusers to fight for their privacy, their safety, and their dignity online.
Seth Fogie
Cyrus Peikari, M.D.