Defeating the Hacker: A non-technical guide to computer security

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 398 pages
• Published by: Wiley May 5, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0470025557
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0470025550
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Weighs: 1.7 pounds

Product Review
"It's hard to imagine that there's any category of computer user -- domestic, small business, corporate -- who will not find something of value in this book.Defeating the Hacker is a useful and well-written book, particularly for home and small business users." (ZDNet.co.uk, April 2006)

"Schifreen is now a kosher security expert and Defeating the Hacker is his non-technical guide through this murky world.It's hard to imagine any kind of computer user who will not find something useful here." (The Glasgow Daily Record, April 2006)

"It's accessible and easy to read and the best thing is that every chapter has five practical points at the end for you to act on to improve your company's security." (Radio Five Live, April 2006) 

"definitely worth reading" (The Register, July 2006)

Product Description
The current struggle between IT security and computer hackers is reaching crisis point. Corporate dependency on computers and the Internet as well as the rapid spread of broadband into more households has resulted in a feeding ground for hackers around the world. Estimated damage costs are now making their way into the billions. The need for some good advice is long overdue.

Robert Schifreen, a self-confessed ex-hacker, made history in 1985 when he became the first human being in the world to face a jury trial in connection with computer hacking. His subsequent acquittal in the High Court led to a change in UK Law and the introduction of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. His twenty years experience in IT security now lends itself to global radio and TV broadcasts, as well as appearances at conferences and lectures around the world.

Keeping your company’s computers free from hackers, viruses, spammers, phishing attacks, social engineers and all the other things that can result in loss of data is a difficult job. Defeating the Hacker is a book about how to protect your computer systems becoming another victim of the hacker. It’s an instant primer into all the things that can go wrong, with advice on how to stop it happening or, if it’s too late, how to fix the damage.

• Presents unique, UK based, insider information on hacking and security from someone who has operated on both sides of the divide
• Develops a populist seam within a hot IT area: security
• Shows readers how and why hacking is made possible, whilst suggesting ways to avoid being a victim of it
• Written in a dynamic, conversational, yet knowledgeable, style
• Filled with information and anecdotal evidence aimed at IT professionals and those with a more general interest

Defeating the Hacker allows the reader to learn how to protect their computer systems with advice from someone who knows how to break into them.

Reader Reviews
Have you ever wished for a security book that covers nearly all the potential security risks one can face with computers, but without going into mind-numbing detail on it all? Robert Schifreen does a pretty good job of that in his book Defeating the Hacker : A nontechnical guide to computer security. Contents: Introduction; A Hacker is Made; Preparation and Planning; International Laws and Standards; Passwords and Beyond; Your Information Security Policy; Security Awareness Training; Patch Management; Windows Workstation Security; Basic Server Security; Understanding Firewalls; Protecting Your Website; Wireless Networking; Penetration Testing; Security Through Obscurity; Windows Vista; Email; The Curse of Spam; Viruses; Spyware, Adware and Rogue Dialers; Piracy; File Sharing and 'P2P'; Backups and Archives; Preventing Internet Misuse; Document Security; Data Theft; Encryption; Employees' Own Computers; How Hackers Use Search Engines; Denial of Service Attacks; Provisioning and Identity Management; Data Interception; Out of the Office; Social Engineering; E-Commerce Fraud; Intrusion Detection Systems; Outsourcing; Securing your Premises; Forensics; Planning for the Worst; Hardware Theft; Let's Be Careful Out There; Index As you can see from the table of contents, Schifreen covers quite a bit of ground. Each chapter is relatively short (7 to ten pages) and covers the subject from a conceptual and practical view. It's more along the lines of "here's a problem, here's how it affects you, and here's what you need to do to address it in your organization." Schifreen was an active hacker who has turned "white hat", so it's not like all this is just theoretical material that he's not actually experienced. He's done a lot (most?) of this stuff at one time or another, so he knows of what he speaks. It's also somewhat unique in that it views things from a distinctly English viewpoint. Since he lives in Great Britain, his writing and choice of words are a little unusual to an American. For instance, taking something to the dump is referred to as the "tip". Prices are stated in pounds, and many of the examples are located in various places in Europe. This particular slant will probably be welcomed by those who are tired of authors who assume that the United States is where all IT takes place. The only real issue I have with the book is the stated target audience. It is indeed a nontechnical guide to IT security, and much of the emphasis is on protecting your organization. I'm not sure how much value an organization would get out of this unless you're a small shop who really hasn't thought much about your computer(s). For a large organization, there's not enough here to allow you to implement solutions completely (from a technical perspective), and you probably already have techno-geeks that do that. For the small shop, this would open your eyes to potential problems, but again there might not be enough to allow the non-techy user to properly implement AND maintain their security. Still, if the reader is someone who really hasn't thought much about computer security beyond the occasional virus scan, this book will open their eyes. Good book, and surprisingly readable given the amount of material covered. Just don't go into it thinking that this single book will make your company hack-proof and turn you into a security expert...