Darril Gibson - Microsoft Windows Security Essentials

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Copyright 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, IndianaPublished simultaneously in CanadaISBN: 978-1-118-01684-8ISBN: 978-1-118-11454-4 (ebk.)ISBN: 978-1-118-11457-5 (ebk.)ISBN: 978-1-118-11456-8 (ebk.)

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Dear Reader,

Thank you for choosing Microsoft Windows Security Essentials . This book is part of a family of premium-quality Sybex books, all of which are written by outstanding authors who combine practical experience with a gift for teaching.

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To my wife, who brings so much joy and happiness into my life.

Acknowledgments

I love the process of writing a book. From the first idea to the last written word, its an enjoyable process where Im able to work with many talented people. Im grateful to the many people at Wiley who have helped me with this project. First, thanks to Jeff Kellum for inviting me to write this book. I appreciate the work put into this project by Candace English, the development editor, and Tom Carpenter, the technical proofer. Thanks also to Dassi Zeidel, a dedicated production editor who helped guide the book to completion in the final stages of production.

About the Author

Darril Gibson is the CEO of Security Consulting and Training, LLC. He has written, coauthored, and contributed to more than a dozen books, and he regularly consults and teaches on a wide variety of IT topics. Most of the books hes been involved with are available on Amazon by searching for Darril Gibson . He has been a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) since 1999 and holds a multitude of certifications including Security+, CISSP, MCSE (NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows 2003), MCITP (Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and SQL Server), and ITIL Foundations. Darril lives in Virginia Beach with his wife of more than 18 years and two dogs. Whenever possible, they escape to their cabin in the country with more than 20 acres of land, where his dogs wear themselves out chasing rabbits and deer. You can reach the author by writing to .

Introduction

Attacks on computers have become as common as computers themselves. Criminals have discovered that they can separate money from uninformed users with very little work and, often, with very large paydays. IT professionals must include sound security practices when maintaining any network today.

The first step is to understand the risks. Once you understand the risks, the security controls implemented to protect the computers and networks from these risks make a lot more sense. This book covers the basics of security in a Microsoft IT environment and is geared toward preparing you for one of the three certification exams in the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Information Technology (IT) Professional track.