Nick Selby - Cyber Survival Manual

T o put it simply, youre in danger. Your identity, your bank accounts, your kids, and even your government are vulnerable to attack from cyber criminals around the world. That should freak you out. But this book is much more than a collection scary stories (although its that too). Its also a toolkit for protecting yourself and your data in an increasingly dangerous online world.

The digital age has given us a dazzling array of products and services at our fingertips, but also created new and often unexpected problems. Security technology will continue to get betterand criminals will keep finding new ways to get around that technology. Thats where we come in.

How to get your head around security in the modern age? Most people want to know first and foremost how to avoid getting hacked. Thats the wrong mindset. Its almost inevitable that youre going to be hacked at some point in your life online.

Start with the assumption that even the most secure technologies are vulnerable. Theres an ongoing war between criminal hackers and security experts, and thats not going to change. The only way we can win is to assume everything will be hacked, and take precautions to secure what is important. If you expect this inevitable hacking of your security systems, you will be able to understand the risk factors and monitor your security on an ongoing basis. Youll know the places you are vulnerable and be able to take appropriate precautions.

How to know which are the appropriate precautions? Thats easy. Read this book! Many of the vulnerabilities enumerated in this book can be dealt with relatively easily, once you have the know-how. You dont need to have the most secure system, just the best one for your needs. Not sure what those are? Well help you figure that out.

In a sense, hackers, in their own way. Every time they break a system, we learn something new about its vulnerability, and how to make it more secure. I personally look forward to the new and exciting ways hackers will point out the limitations of each new technology. I just dont want them learning on you!

HEATHER VESCENT

Y our bank account is suddenly, mysteriously overdrawn. Everyone in your address book gets a desperate email from you asking for money. You fail what should have been a routine background check. Your TV starts getting unusual error messages. Whats going on? Cybercrime can, quite literally, hit you where you liveand its getting more common all the time as our lives get more connected and hackers more sophisticated. The chapters that follow tell you what to do when Internet bad guys make it personalstealing your identity or your money, invading your privacy, bullying your kids, or even threatening your life. We also highlight some unexpected vulnerabilities in your smart phone, your browsing habits, and your household appliances, as well how to keep your personal information safe and secure.

T he story of the internet is about more than laptops and cell phones and smart cars. Its also about the people behind those devices, and the things they desirewealth, power, connection, influence, and more. With just a few clicks of a mouse, were able to shop online, look for dates, educate ourselves. On the other hand, there are no shortage of people employing the same connectivity to scam others, take their money, damage their businesses, destroy their confidence, break their hearts, and cause plenty of other intangible forms of damageand they dont necessarily act on their own. Online anonymity is afforded to the larcenous and the amorous alike, and if an internet mob gets going, they can do just as much harm as any rioting mass of people in the public square. So how do you protect yourself, your business, your bank account, and even maybe your heart in this realm? In the next several chapters, well have a look at how to safeguard all of these things.