Book details of 'Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online'

Title	Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online
Author(s)	Gary Bahadur, William Chan, Chris Weber
ISBN	078972605X
Language	English
Published	February 2002
Publisher	Que

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Back to shelf Computer security
Back to shelf Privacy

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The Virtual Bookcase Reviews of 'Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online':

Reviewer amazon.com wrote:
Lots of books have to do with computer and network security, which is to say they explain how to protect your files and other resources from malicious characters. Privacy Defended has more to do with protecting Internet users from themselves. The team of authors makes it clear that Internet entities (mainly commercial interests, though miscellaneous troublemakers fall into this category as well) have tremendous interest in finding out as many details as possible about you. This book goes into considerable depth on the technologies (such as browser cookies) and social engineering techniques (such as contests whose entry forms solicit your e-mail address) that have evolved to circumvent the inherently anonymous nature of the Internet. Internet users willing to sit down and have a serious look at what this book has to say will be rewarded with a solid understanding of the implications of nearly everything they do online. Readers are, for instance, clued in to the undercover behavior of Netscape SmartDownload (early versions of the software reported your identity and the files you downloaded to a central server) and made to wonder about what other free utilities might be doing. Once they've instilled a bit of paranoia in their readers, the authors offer advice on securing typical home computers (and networks of them) against attack. They compare and contrast commercial products for this purpose, and go into helpful detail on the characteristic risks of cable modems and other broadband links.

Reviewer Rob Slade wrote:
The introduction states that this is a privacy book for non- specialists, but the write up seems to deal with computer intrusions or malware rather than privacy issues. Part one talks about life in the digital age. Chapter one is an uncompelling demonstration of how to obtain personal information online plus more on intrusions and a lengthy outline of the rest of the chapters in the book. There is a slightly unfocused look at privacy laws and related issues in chapter two. Various government, industry, commercial, and other groups and agencies (as well as a few programs) are described in chapter three. Part two tells us that the enemy is out there. Chapter four points out legal threats to individual privacy that people may not know about, but not in much detail. Illegal threats, such as blackhats, intruders, identity theft, and fraud (as well as those of questionable legality, like spyware) are reviewed in chapter five. Part three looks at protecting your privacy. Chapter six lists lookup and anonymity tools. Cookies, spyware, some tools, and payment systems are presented in chapter seven. Spam, malware, and PGP are discussed in chapter eight, along with miscellaneous other topics related to email. Part four advises on securing your PC. Chapter nine reviews SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and digital certificates, but because cryptography has not been explained the background discussion is poor. (It is also sometimes erroneous: for most people SSL does *not* authenticate the client.) A collection of random security factors and tools, by operating system, is presented in chapter ten. (The division by operating system is not always clear: tools vary on different versions of Windows, and this is not made clear. There are also a number of errors: IPSec is an Internet protocol and has nothing to do with the Microsoft Windows IP Security Policy.) Screen shots of configuration menus for personal firewalls make up most of chapter eleven. Chapter twelve deals with viruses (poorly), chat (chat systems seem to be almost inherently insecure, so it's hard to understand why), and cryptography (poorly and briefly). Miscellaneous and random network topics are covered in chapter thirteen. Part five looks at other devices, in a single chapter, fourteen, covering various gadgets, threats, and protections--not necessarily for those threats. Part six says what to do if your privacy is compromised. Chapter fifteen mentions kids, mostly rehashing previous material and adding content restriction. Intrusion detection and a review of other tools from prior chapters finishes out in sixteen. This book is not really about privacy, it is yet another attempt at a general security guide. "Protect Your Digital Privacy" (see reviews) sticks much closer to the privacy topic. "Inside Internet Security" (see reviews) and even "Access Denied" (see reviews) are better at covering general security for non- professionals. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2002

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Book description:

The privacy risks that confront everyday computer users (individuals and small businesses) when they connect to the Internet. Detailed discussion of the legal aspects of online privacy (in the United States), legal accumulation of demographic data by online businesses, and online credit card fraud are all included. A consumer's guide to technical Internet standards enables readers to see where holes exist, and advice on securing computers and network connections helps them seal security gaps. Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online is a comprehensive book that melds detailed, how-to information on PC hardware and operating system security within the context of protecting one's privacy in a digital world. It is designed for individuals who are serious about their privacy and who also want an accessible, one-stop source of practical information. The book offers clear discussion of privacy issues as they affect everyday users of digital devices, covering all current and near-future devices and technologies that pose privacy risks to users.