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OverviewToday, if you own a Windows computer you need to understand the risks and the potential damage security threats pose. The mere act of turning on an Internet-connected computer can put you, your family, and even your personal finances at risk! This book defines all the threats an average household might face and provides strategies to turn novice and basic users into adept home security experts, making you safer and more secure from cyber criminals. We start off with plain English definitions for security mumbo jumbo, and then we dig in with step-by-step instructions to help you cut your exposure in less than 10 minutes! Finally, we provide steps for more involved security measures that you can do in a weekend. We also take an in-depth look at the security measures Microsoft put in Windows Vista. We also look at how Vista responds to the key threats. It teaches you how to tweak the system and make Microsoft’s new security features–like the User Access Control–less annoying and helps you adjust the system to be usable. It shows you how to set up Vista to protect your system from your kids–the biggest security hazard to your computer. • More than 5 million spam emails flood the Internet daily–many with your name on them–we show you how to make yourself invisible to detestable spammers! • Did you know that hackers are snooping around your IP address right now, while you read this? They might already have breached what security you have and could be running amok with your personal data. Stop them dead in their tracks with a few simple steps! • Identity theft is the most popular form of consumer fraud today, and last year thieves stole more than $100 million from people just like you. Put a stop to the madness with the steps provided in this book! • Spyware–nasty little programs that you might not even know you have installed on your PC–could be causing your PC to crash. We show you how to root it out of your system and prevent further infection. Andy Walker is one of North America’s top technology journalists and is the author of Que’s Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Security, Spam, Spyware & Viruses and Microsoft Windows Vista Help Desk. Since 1995, he has written about personal computer technology for dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites. Today, his columns (and hundreds more technology how-to articles) are published at Cyberwalker.com where more than 5 million unique visitors read the advice annually. Andy co-hosted the internationally syndicated TV show Call for Help with Leo Laporte. Alongside his ongoing TV guest appearances, he also hosts the popular tech video podcast Lab Rats at LabRats.tv. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Andy WalkerPublisher: Pearson Education (US) Imprint: Que Corporation,U.S. Edition: 1st Revised edition Dimensions: Width: 17.80cm , Height: 2.70cm , Length: 22.90cm Weight: 0.766kg ISBN: 9780789736727ISBN 10: 0789736721 Pages: 480 Publication Date: 07 August 2008 Audience: College/higher education , Tertiary & Higher Education Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Out of Print Availability: In Print  Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock. Table of ContentsPart 1: Security Basics: Some Very Real Threats 1 Viruses: Attack of the Malicious Programs........................................... 3 What Is a Computer Virus?......................................... 4 What Is It?........................................................................................... 5 Who Triggers a Computer Virus?.............................................. 5 How Does It Spread?...................................................................... 6 What Damage Can It Do?............................................................. 7 Viruses: As Many Kinds As Sniffles in Kindergarten...... 9 Macro Viruses................................................................................... 10 Memory-Resident Viruses.......................................................... 12 File Infector Viruses...................................................................... 13 Boot Viruses...................................................................................... 13 Multi-Partite Viruses..................................................................... 13 Worms: Network-Savvy Viruses............................................ 14 Trojan Horses: Hey Helen, the Achaeans Left Us a Present! 16 Virus Hoaxes: Fake Viruses That Scare the Heck Out of You 18 Who Creates Computer Viruses?................................. 20 What Not to Do!..................................................... 22 When Viruses Attack!.............................................. 23 Disconnect As Soon As Possible............................................ 25 Virus Infection Found! How to Clean Your System.... 26 My Antivirus Program Won’t Update!.................................. 27 Now That I Have Your Attention….............................. 29 Antivirus Defense: Tactics for XP and Vista.................. 31 Install Windows Security Updates and Service Packs 31 Update Your Virus Signatures................................................. 32 Install or Upgrade an Antivirus Program............................ 34 Scan Your Computer for Viruses........................................... 38 Install Service Packs on Windows XP................................. 38 Monitor and Tweak Windows Security Center.............. 39 Understanding User Account Control.................................. 42 I Hate UAC......................................................................................... 43 Review and Set Up Administrator and Standard User Accounts. 44 Review and Tweak Data Execution Prevention Settings. 44 No Worm in My Apple?.............................................. 48 Is That a Virus in Your Pocket?.................................. 49 Absolute Minimum.................................................... 50 2 Spyware: Overrun by Advertisers, Hijackers, and Opportunists 51 What Is Spyware?................................................... 52 What Does Spyware Do and Why Is It Bad?................. 52 How Does Spyware Sneak onto My Computer?.............. 53 Types of Spyware: Snoops, Adware, Cookies, and More. 55 Spyware: I Spy with My Little App...................................... 55 Adware: Attack of the Pop-ups............................................ 55 Snoopware: I Wanna Know What You’re Up To!......... 56 Browser Hijackers: Turn This Browser Around, We’re Going to Cuba.com 57 Key Loggers: Snooping on Your Typing Skills................ 59 Dialers: Dial In, Dial Out, Dial Often.................................... 59 Trojan Horses: Pretty Ponies with Deadly Insides...... 60 Cookies: Does My Oreo Have a Tape Recorder in It? 61 Who Is at Risk?....................................................... 63 How Do I Know If I Have Spyware?............................. 64 Defend Yourself Against Spyware............................... 65 Spyware Countermeasures: 10-Minute Tactics........... 65 Download a Free Antispyware Program............................. 65 Increase Browser Security Settings.................................... 70 Run Windows Update Frequently.......................................... 72 Update Your Spyware Signatures......................................... 72 Ban All Spies: Strong Spyware Defense in an Afternoon.. 73 Run a Full System Scan.............................................................. 73 Install a Second Antispyware Program.............................. 74 Inoculate Your System............................................................... 75 Use Firefox As Your Primary Browser.................................. 76 IE7’s Protected Mode on Vista............................................... 77 Clean Cookies................................................................................... 79 Spyware Infection Found! How to Scrub Your System 81 The Absolute Minimum.............................................. 84 3 Rootkits: Sneaky, Stealthy Toolboxes................................................. 87 What Is a Rootkit?.................................................. 88 What Are Rootkits Used For?.................................................. 88 Rock Star Rootkit: Sony’s Famous Malware................... 89 How to Recognize a Sony Copy-protected CD............. 90 How to Remove Sony BMG Copy-protection.................. 91 How to Remove XCP..................................................................... 91 How to Remove MediaMax........................................................ 92 How a Rootkit Works.................................................................... 92 Rootkit Detection and Removal.................................. 93 Mostly Protected? You Can Do Better Than That!..... 94 Free Rootkit Scanners................................................................. 95 How to Use System Restore to Turf a Rootkit............... 98 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 100 4 Hackers: There’s a Man in My Machine............................................. 101 What Is a Hacker?................................................. 102 Who Are the Hackers?............................................ 102 What Damage Can Hackers Do?................................ 103 Targets of a Hack Attack........................................ 103 Corporate Networks................................................................... 103 Web Servers................................................................................... 104 Personal Computers.................................................................... 104 Hacker Motivation: I Think, Therefore I Hack.............. 105 Tools of the Trade: Pass Me a Trojan Horse, Would You? 105 Firewall: Shut Out the Hackers................................. 106 Software Firewalls: Programs That Stop Hackers......... 108 Windows Firewall: Built-in Defense................................... 108 Third-Party Software Firewalls............................................ 110 Recommended Firewall Freebies.......................................... 112 Easy Defense with a NAT Firewall..................................... 114 Stateful Inspection: The Meticulous Traffic Cop...... 116 How to Detect a Hacker Attack................................ 117 How to Fix a Hacker Attack..................................... 119 Steps You Can Take Immediately After Being Hacked 119 Batten Down the Hatches–Ten-Minute Tactics........... 123 Turn on Windows Firewall....................................................... 123 Installing a Firewall on a Mac OS X System................ 125 Wall Off the World–Install a Better Firewall in an Afternoon 125 Install a Two-way Software Firewall............................... 125 Install a Hardware Firewall..................................................... 129 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 131 5 Identity Thieves and Phishers: Protect Your Good Name and Bank Account 133 What Is Identity Theft?.......................................... 134 Techniques Thieves Use to Steal Your Identity........ 134 How They Become You: Identity Theft Techniques 135 Preventative Measures: How to Not Become a Victim 136 Signs You’re a Victim................................................................. 137 What to Do If You’re an Identity Theft Victim........... 137 What Is Phishing?.................................................. 138 How Does Phishing Work?........................................ 141 Email Address Spoofing............................................................ 141 Link Spoofing.................................................................................. 142 Web Address Spoofing.............................................................. 144 What Is Pharming?................................................. 145 What Damage Can Be Done By Phishing?.................... 148 Who Is at Risk? Everyone!....................................... 149 Don’t Get Phished: 10-Minute Tactics to Stay Off the Hook 149 They Won’t Ask, You Don’t Tell.......................................... 149 Use Caution and Cut and Paste.......................................... 149 Communicate Securely............................................................. 150 Install an Anti-Spam Filter..................................................... 151 Block Phishing Sites with NetCraft.................................... 151 Carry a Big Spoofstick.............................................................. 152 Keep Your Antivirus and Antispyware Programs Up-to-Date 153 Keep Your Computer Software Up-to-Date................. 154 Vista’s Anti-Phishing Features............................................. 154 Ensure You Are You: Take an Afternoon to Protect Your Identity 156 Check Your Credit Reports..................................................... 156 Shred It Before You Chuck It............................................... 158 Read Your Statements............................................................. 158 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 159 6 Spam: Unwanted Email from Hell........................................................... 161 What Is Spam?..................................................... 162 Why Does Spam Keep Coming?................................. 163 Specialty Spam..................................................... 164 Malware and Scam Distribution........................................... 164 Hobbit Spam................................................................................... 165 SPIM and Non-email Spam..................................................... 165 Why Doesn’t Someone Stop the Spammers?............... 166 How Do Spammers Get My Email Address?.................. 167 Website Harvesting.................................................................... 167 Dictionary Spamming................................................................. 167 Commercial Email Lists.............................................................. 168 Newsgroups, Discussion Forums, and Interactive Websites 168 Contests and Other Free Offerings................................... 169 Email Forwarding.......................................................................... 169 Data Theft....................................................................................... 170 The Damage Spam Can Do...................................... 170 Reduce the Flow–10-minute Tactics to Reduce Spam.. 172 Don’t Respond................................................................................ 172 Don’t Post Your Email Address on the Web.................. 172 Webmasters Shouldn’t Use mailto...................................... 172 Turn Off Image Display in Email Programs..................... 173 Tweak Junk Mail Filtering on Your Mail Server............ 175 Turn on Junk Mail Filtering...................................................... 176 Kill More Spam–In an Afternoon............................... 177 Install an Anti-Spam Program............................................... 178 Fight Back!...................................................................................... 179 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 180 7 Wireless Network Snoops: Lock Down Your Wi-Fi Network... 183 What Is a Wireless Home Network?........................... 184 What Damage Can a Wireless Network Snoop Do?........ 187 Who Are the Snoopers?.......................................... 188 Wardrivers........................................................................................ 188 Bandwidth Bandits....................................................................... 192 Wireless Hackers.......................................................................... 194 Dead-End Wi-Fi Access Points............................................ 194 Your Wi-Fi Network Is Full of Holes!.......................... 195 How to Access Your Router Setup.................................... 196 First Line of Defense: Secure Your Wi-Fi Network........ 200 Turn On WEP.................................................................................. 200 Turn On WPA.................................................................................. 204 MAC Address Filtering: Keep Out the Scottish.......... 208 Detecting a Visit from a Wireless Snoop..................... 212 I’m Under Attack! What to Do If You Discover a Wireless Network Snoop? 214 Turn Off Wireless Access........................................................ 214 Activate Security Measures.................................................. 214 Assess the Damage.................................................................... 214 Wireless Security Workup: Quick Tactics and Some That Take a Little More Time 216 10-Minute Tactic: Change the Router’s User ID and Password 217 10-Minute Tactic: Change Your Default SSID............ 217 10-Minute Tactic: Turn On the Windows Firewall.... 219 10-Minute Tactic: Turn Off UPnP...................................... 222 10-Minute Tactic: Turn Off Your Router When Not in Use 222 10-Minute Tactics: Vista Network and Sharing Settings 223 Private vs. Public......................................................................... 224 Network Discovery...................................................................... 224 File Sharing...................................................................................... 225 Public Folder Sharing................................................................. 225 Printer Sharing............................................................................... 225 Password-Protected Sharing................................................ 225 Media Sharing................................................................................ 225 Time-Intensive Tactic: Be Careful with File Sharing 226 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 231 Part 2: Hardcore Help for Safe and Secure Computing 8 Damage Control–How to Remove Viruses and Spyware Infections 235 Evasive Action: Quick Steps You Can Take to Halt the Infection 236 Disconnect the Internet and Evaluate............................ 236 Inventory Your Tools and Their Status.......................... 238 Gather Information...................................................................... 241 Jump into Safe Mode................................................................. 243 Search and Destroy: Techniques to Target the Infection and Remove it 245 Replace Tools and Update Signatures............................. 246 Scan Your System...................................................................... 247 Infection Found!........................................................................... 248 System Restore............................................................................ 249 Scan and Remove with a Targeted Tool........................ 250 How to Manually Remove a Virus.............................. 252 Do Your Research........................................................................ 252 Disconnect....................................................................................... 253 Back Up Data................................................................................. 253 Disable System Restore........................................................... 254 Work in Safe Mode...................................................................... 255 Clean Out Windows Startup.................................................. 255 Turn Off Services........................................................................ 256 Clean Out the Registry............................................................. 257 Disable Malware that Runs as a Windows Service... 258 Delete Files and Folders Related to the Malware...... 259 Restart and Check...................................................................... 259 Remove a Browser Hijacker with Hijack This!............... 260 Installing and Using HijackThis............................................. 261 Recruit a HijackThis Expert.................................................... 262 Do-It-Yourself HijackThis........................................................ 263 Check the Memory First........................................................... 264 Here Spyware, Spyware. It’s Time to Die..................... 265 Decimate the Little Suckers with CWShredder.......... 268 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 269 9 Ground Up Security–Wipe Your Hard Drive and Build a Secure Windows PC from the Ground Up 271 Light the Fuse and Stand Back................................. 271 Let’s Get Started................................................... 272 Installation or System Recovery Disc.............................. 272 Windows Service Packs........................................................... 273 Windows XP SP2: The Mother of All Service Packs 274 XP SP3: Even More Fixes........................................................ 275 Windows Vista SP1: Microsoft’s Repair Job.................. 275 Collect Your Drivers.................................................................... 275 Installation Discs for Your Programs................................. 276 Internet Service Software and Settings........................ 277 Step 1: Download Drivers and Software You Need for the Reinstall 277 Got a Recovery CD? That’s Good News!........................ 277 Retail Copy of Windows? There’s Some Work to Do 278 Step 2: Back Up!................................................... 282 Outlook.............................................................................................. 283 Outlook Express/Windows Mail............................................. 284 Documents Folder........................................................................ 285 IE Favorites and Cookies......................................................... 285 Firefox Favorites.......................................................................... 285 Saved Games................................................................................. 286 Pictures, Music, and Videos.................................................. 286 Microsoft Office 2003 Settings............................................ 286 Windows Media Player.............................................................. 286 Other Odds and Ends................................................................ 288 Saving Your Windows Settings............................................ 289 Step 3: Pull the Plug on the Network......................... 291 Step 4: Set Your Boot Sequence.............................. 292 Step 5: Start the Installation................................... 294 Step 5a: Using a System Recovery CD/DVD................ 295 Step 5b: Using a Windows XP CD.............................. 296 Destroy the Partition................................................................. 297 A Fresh Copy of Windows XP............................................... 302 Input the License Key and Finish Up................................ 302 Step 5c: Using a Windows Vista DVD......................... 304 Install Vista from the Desktop............................................. 306 Installing a Fresh Copy of Windows Vista..................... 307 Finish the Vista Install.............................................................. 311 Step 6: Reinstall Your Drivers................................... 314 Use System Restore Before Installing Drivers............. 316 Step 7: Install Protection Against Malware................. 317 Install an Antivirus Program................................................... 318 Install an Antispyware Program........................................... 318 Install a Firewall........................................................................... 319 Step 8: Install Firefox............................................. 321 Step 9: Configure Your Networking........................... 323 Dial-up................................................................................................ 323 Step 10: Install Security Fixes and Service Packs........ 324 Windows Update in XP.............................................................. 325 Windows Update in Vista........................................................ 327 Windows Validation in XP........................................................ 327 Windows Validation in XP........................................................ 328 Step 11: Configure Your Security Settings................. 329 Security Tweaks for Windows XP...................................... 329 Security Tweaks for Windows Vista................................. 333 Tweak User Account Control................................................ 335 Step 12: Update All of Your Security Programs and Security Signatures 336 Step 13: Activate Windows..................................... 337 Step 14: Reinstall Your Programs.............................. 337 Microsoft Office Updates........................................................ 338 Step 15: Other Things You Can Do........................... 339 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 341 10 Ongoing Maintenance: Fend Off Future Threats!....................... 343 Note to Self: Keep Computer Secure......................... 344 Daily Routines: Walk the Dog, Feed the Kids, and Secure the Computer 344 Update Your Antivirus and Antispyware Signatures 344 Update AVG Signatures............................................................ 345 Update Windows Defender..................................................... 346 Update Spybot Search & Destroy...................................... 347 Weekly Routines: Never Be Bored on Saturday Morning. 348 Scan for Viruses and Spyware............................................. 348 Check for Firefox Updates...................................................... 350 Report Problems, Get Solutions........................................... 351 Monthly Routines: Clean the Garage, Trim the Hedge, and Update Windows 352 Windows Updates........................................................................ 353 When Updates Bite Back......................................................... 355 Check for Anti-Rootkit Updates.......................................... 356 Inspect Other Computers....................................................... 356 Router Firmware Updates........................................................ 356 Patch Microsoft Office.............................................................. 358 Software Updates....................................................................... 360 Bathe Once a Year Whether You Need It or Not and Reformat and Reinstall, Too 361 Wipe Your Hard Drive and Reinstall Windows.............. 361 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 362 Part 3: Tools for Maintenance and Protection 11 Selecting Software: Steals, Deals, and Software Duds.......... 365 Security Software: Nothing in Life Is Free, Except Software 366 Payware: Software You Pay Hard-Earned Cash For 366 Freeware: Don’t Pay a Cent for Software.................... 367 Weirdware: When It’s Not Payware or Freeware.......... 368 Gimpware: Free Software, But Not All the Bits Work 368 Trialware: It’s Free, Until It’s Not...................................... 369 Shareware: I Trust You to Pay Me................................... 369 What Should I Pay for My Security Toolbox?............... 370 Choosing the Right Security Software........................ 372 Antivirus............................................................................................ 372 Antispyware.................................................................................... 373 Firewall............................................................................................... 374 Anti-Spam........................................................................................ 375 The Absolute Minimum............................................ 376 12 Tools of the Trade: Security Products You Should Own........ 379 Which Security Software Is Right for You?................. 380 Security Suites..................................................... 380 Symantec Norton Internet Security................................. 381 McAfee Internet Security Suite.......................................... 382 F-Secure Internet Security................................................... 383 CA Internet Security Suite Plus.......................................... 384 Webroot AntiVirus with AntiSpyware & Firewall........ 384 ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite................................... 384 ESET Smart Security................................................................. 386 Panda Internet Security.......................................................... 386 Trend Micro Internet Security............................................. 387 Antivirus Programs................................................. 387 Freeware........................................................................................... 387 Paid Antivirus Programs............................................................ 389 Antispyware.................................................................................... 392 Freeware........................................................................................... 392 Paid Antispyware Programs.................................................... 395 PC Tools Spyware Doctor....................................................... 396 Firewalls.............................................................. 397 ZoneAlarm Free............................................................................. 397 Comodo Free Firewall................................................................ 397 PC Tools Firewall Plus................................................................ 398 Anti-Spam............................................................ 398 McAfee Internet Security Suite (Anti-Spam)............. 398 Cloudmark Desktop..................................................................... 399 Spam Arrest.................................................................................... 400 CA Anti-Spam 2007.................................................................... 401 SpamBayes...................................................................................... 401 Glossary............................................................................................................... 403 TOC, 0789736721, 7/9/08ReviewsAuthor InformationAndy Walker is one of North America’s top technology journalists and is the author of three books published by Que including Microsoft Windows Vista Help Desk. Since 1995, he has written about personal technology for dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites. His personal technology advice column was syndicated across Canada and today the body of work is published at Cyberwalker.com where more than 5 million unique visitors read the advice annually. Andy has appeared as a tech expert on hundreds of TV and radio broadcasts and he also co-hosted the internationally syndicated TV show “Call for Help” with Leo Laporte. Andy hosts and produces the acclaimed Internet video show “Lab Rats” at www.labrats.tv and appears weekly on the TV show “HomePage” on the Canadian news channel CP24. He also stars in his own technology teaching DVD called “Getting Started with Windows Vista.” You can get more info at www.gettingstartedvideo.com. Andy was born in the United Kingdom, educated and raised in Canada, and now lives in Toronto with two cats and a really secure personal computer. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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