How Personal & Internet Security Work

Book description

In 2003, fraud and identity theft cost consumers at least $437 million dollars. In 2004, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission received 247,000 consumer complaints in 2004 (up 15% from 2003), from individuals whose identity was stolen, and according to Reuters.com (2/2005), Americans lost $548 million dollars to identity theft and consumer fraud in 2004. Don't allow yourself to become a part of the statistics!

How Personal and Internet Security Works illustrates in vivid detail the many dangers faced by those who use the Internet to send or receive email, surf the Web, conduct personal business, use a credit card, or even travel to airports and how those dangers can be solved. You'll also get detailed explanations of Internet privacy issues such as spyware, phishing, identity theft, data mining, biometrics, and security cameras, as well as Homeland Security issues such as airport scanning and terrorist screening.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Author
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. We Want to Hear from You!
  5. Reader Services
  6. Introduction
  7. 1. Internet Security
    1. 1. How the Internet Works
      1. How TCP/IP Works
      2. How the World Wide Web Works
    2. 2. How Hackers Break In to Your PC—and How to Protect Against Them
      1. How Hackers Invade PCs
      2. How Script Kiddies Target PCs
      3. How Personal Hacker Protection Works
    3. 3. How Spyware and Anti-Spyware Work
      1. How Spyware Invades Your PC
      2. How Spyware Morphs Itself to Escape Detection
      3. How Spyware Invades Your Privacy
      4. How Home Page and Search Page Hijackers Work
      5. How Dialers Work
      6. How Keyloggers Work
      7. How Rootkits Work
      8. Following the Spyware Money Trail
      9. How Anti-Spyware Works
    4. 4. How Websites Invade Your Privacy
      1. How Cookies Work
      2. How Web Bugs Track You
      3. How Websites Track Your Activities
      4. How Websites Build Personal Profiles of You
    5. 5. The Dangers of Internet Search
      1. How Google Searches the Internet
      2. What Google Knows About You
    6. 6. How “Phishing” Attacks Can Steal Your Identity—and How to Protect Against Them
      1. How Phishing Works
      2. Following the Phishing Money Trail
      3. How to Protect Against Phishing Attacks
    7. 7. How Zombies and Trojan Horses Attack You—and How to Protect Against Them
      1. How Zombies and Bot Networks Work
      2. How Trojan Horses Work
      3. Following the Zombie Money Trail
      4. How Zombie and Trojan Protection Works
    8. 8. The Security Dangers in Browsers
      1. How Hackers Exploit Browsers
      2. How to Protect Against Browser-based Attacks
    9. 9. How Worms and Viruses Do Their Damage—and How to Protect Against Them
      1. How Viruses Work
      2. How Worms Work
      3. How Antivirus Software Works
    10. 10. Wi-Fi Security Dangers and Protections
      1. How Wi-Fi Works
      2. How Hackers Invade Wi-Fi Networks
      3. How Hotspots Work
      4. How Hotspot Hacking Works
      5. How “Evil Twin” Hacks Work
      6. How War Drivers Invade Your Network
      7. How Wireless Network Protection Works
      8. How Hotspot Protection Works
      9. How Wi-Fi Encryption Works
    11. 11. Bluetooth Security Dangers
      1. How Bluetooth Works
      2. How Bluetooth Can Be Hacked
    12. 12. How Instant Messaging Pests Work
      1. How IRC Works
      2. How Instant Messaging Works
      3. How Instant Messaging Pests Attack You
      4. How Instant Messaging Pest Protection Works
    13. 13. How Spam Works—and How to Fight It
      1. How Spam Works
      2. The Dangers of Spam
      3. How Nigerian 419 Scams Work
      4. How Spammers Hide Their Identity
      5. How Spammers Find You
      6. How Anti-Spam Software Works
      7. How Anti-Spam Software Sniffs Out Phony Email
    14. 14. How Denial-of-Service Attacks Bring Down Websites
      1. How Denial-of-Service Attacks Target Websites
      2. How Hackers Invade Websites
      3. How to Protect Against Denial-of-Service Attacks
    15. 15. How Virtual Private Networks and Encryption Keep You Safe
      1. How Virtual Private Networks Work
      2. How Cryptosystems Work
      3. How Digital Certificates Ensure Internet Security
      4. How Internet Passports Work
    16. 16. How Web Blocking and Parental Controls Work
      1. How Web Blocking Works
      2. How Parental Controls Work
    17. 17. How Personal Firewalls and Proxy Servers Protect You
      1. How Personal Firewalls Protect PCs
      2. How Network Address Translation Protects Home Networks
      3. How Proxy Servers Work
      4. How Corporate Firewalls Protect the Workplace
      5. How Intrusion Protection Systems Work
  8. 2. Personal Privacy and Security
    1. 18. How Identity Theft Works
      1. How Thieves Can Steal Your Identity
      2. How Thieves Make Use of Stolen Identities
      3. How You Can Protect Against Identity Theft
    2. 19. Credit Card Security
      1. How Credit Card Information Is Stolen
      2. How Financial Firms Detect Credit Card Fraud
      3. Following the Black Market Credit Card Money Trail
    3. 20. The Dangers of Data Mining
      1. How Data Mining Works
      2. The Dangers of Data Mining
    4. 21. The Dangers of Workplace Surveillance
      1. How Workplace Surveillance Works
      2. How Employers Track Employee Internet Use
    5. 22. How Cell Phones Can Be Hacked
      1. A Look at Cell Phone Hacking Dangers
      2. How Bluesnarfing Works
      3. How Paris Hilton’s Cell Phone Was Hacked
    6. 23. How Biometrics Works
      1. How Iris Scanning Works
      2. How Fingerprinting ID Works
    7. 24. How Radio Frequency ID Can Invade Your Privacy
      1. How RFID Works
      2. How RFID Can Track Your Life
    8. 25. How Location Tracking Works
      1. How Global Positioning Satellites Work
      2. How Cell Phone Location Tracking Works
    9. 26. How DNA Matching Works
      1. How DNA Matching Works
      2. The Dangers of DNA Profiling
    10. 27. How Airport Scanners and Screening Systems Work
      1. How Airport Scanners Work
      2. How Airport Terrorist Tracking Systems Work
    11. 28. The Federal Government, Privacy, and Electronic Surveillance
      1. How the NSA’s Echelon Spy System Works
      2. How the FBI’s Carnivore System Worked
      3. How the Patriot Act Can Invade Your Privacy
    12. 29. How Wiretapping and Lie Detectors Work
      1. How Wiretapping Works
      2. How Legal Wiretapping Works
      3. How Lie Detectors Work

Product information

  • Title: How Personal & Internet Security Work
  • Author(s): Preston Gralla
  • Release date: May 2006
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 9780789735539