| | |  | Wireless Security | Home » » PC Pest Control: Protect Your Computers from Malicious Internet Invaders | | | | | | | Description: | | The Internet is rife with all kinds of creepy PC bugs. In the first six months of 2004, almost 5,000 new Windows viruses and worms were discovered that were capable of compromising computer security. But the pests that users deal with aren't limited to viruses. They're plagued with everything from spam to phishing.
But just because your computer is hooked up to the Internet doesn't mean your PC has to be at risk. In a constant battle of one-upmanship, the forces of good have devised a number of creative ways to fend off these Internet nasties in order to best protect your computer. And PC Pest Control from O'Reilly spells out how you can do just that. Written in a friendly, engaging manner, this handy guide covers detection, prevention and cure, where you're vulnerable, and how to surf the web more safely. It also details how you can protect yourself against adware, spyware, home page hijackers, viruses, Trojans, spam, phishing attacks, and more.
For easy understanding, PC Pest Control describes each problem and its symptoms, rates the danger level, and then shows you how to solve the problem step by step. In addition, a supporting website keeps the book's content as up to date as possible, so you're always informed of the latest safeguards. And in a field that shifts as frequently as PC protection, that's a major advantage. So if you want to make sure that your personal computer doesn't fall victim to attack-or if your system has already been infected and you want to start anew-then PC Pest Control is most definitely for you.
| | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9780596009267
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Preston Gralla | | Paperback:
| 288 pages | | Publisher:
| O'Reilly Media | | Publication Date:
| August 03, 2005 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0596009267 | | Product Length:
| 8.94 inches | | Product Width:
| 6.12 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.58 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.18 pounds | | Package Length:
| 8.9 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.7 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.1 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 10 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 10 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 The perfect title for all non-geek computer owners...Aug 13, 2005
By Thomas Duff
"Duffbert"
Since I live and breathe computer stuff, I'm pretty much up to speed on how aware someone needs to be when it comes to PC security. But every once in awhile, I'm forced to look at a PC through the eyes of someone who really doesn't understand what's going on... like my father... But there's finally a book I could give a typical user to allow them to sort through the nasty world of personal PC security... PC Pest Control by Preston Gralla.
Content:
Overall Protection: Your PC Is Not Your Own; Where You're Vulnerable; Pest Prevention and Monitoring; Killing Pests
Fighting Specific Pests: Throw Internet Explorer Out the Window; Adware, Spyware, and Home Page Hijackers; Viruses, Trojans, and Bots; Email, Worms, and Instant Messaging; Spam, Spam, and Spam; Protecting Your Identity and Kids Online; Wireless and Home Networking Dangers
Appendix: A Field Guide To Pests
Gralla has written a book that approaches PC security at a level that can be understood by nearly anyone that uses a computer. Terms such as "spyware" and "bots" will no longer be something that causes your Uncle Joe to scratch his head in total confusion. There's a clear explanation of the different security risks, what they do, how to tell if you have that problem, how to fix the issue, and how to monitor and prevent the problem in the future. There are also references to a number of additional software packages that can be downloaded (free and for purchase) to fill the security gaps that are inherent on Windows systems. Spending $25 on this book will pay for itself immediately when you learn what anti-virus and anti-spyware software is and how you need to have it running on your system. To me, it's second nature. To Uncle Joe, it's a complete unknown.
If the information wasn't so valuable, I'd probably ding the book on a minor nit that started to annoy me after awhile. There's the tendency to repeat the same commentary on something over and over. For instance, whenever the spyware software CoolWebSearch is mentioned, it's followed by "may well be the most reviled piece of spyware in existence". Fine the first time, OK the second, after that it was distracting. Same thing with the advice about upgrading to SP2 if you're running Windows XP. I really don't need to see that as the recommended solution to nearly everything (even if they do try to make it humorous after awhile).
If you're a hard-core geek and IT professional, you probably know most of this. But if you have the unenviable task of being the de facto help desk for your extended family, you might want to buy this book as a Christmas present for your most problematic "customers". It'll pay off for both of you...
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Thorough, thoughtful and deep.Aug 05, 2005
By Jack D. Herrington
"engineer and author"
For me this book was as scary as it was informative. The book taught me just how many different types of threats there were out there, and provided mechanisms for dealing with them. But it's up to me to do the work to get them implemented. No book can fix that. And certainly this book gave me a sense of priorities, which I appreciate. Since many security books treat unlikely threats with the same intensity as the most common threats.
Down to business. The book mainly covers Windows, which is so full of holes that it needs this trim 250 page book to cover it all. The different types of threats are covered in detail. Specifics are provided on bots, viruses, trojans and the rest. With this book you will be able to look at your task list to see if and how your machine has been compromised.
Easily one of the best books I have seen on Windows user-level security that covers real modern threats.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Recommended if you want to try to resolve problems yourselfNov 24, 2005
By Harold McFarland
If there is one thing that is truly pandemic within the PC computer environment it is the various forms of pests. Whether it is SPAM, viruses, worms, pop-ups, page hijacking, adware, spyware, cookies, malicious scripts, phishing, or any number of other problems the one thing for certain is that it is all out there waiting to take advantage of you. This book examines these and other pests and provides both an excellent explanation of what they are and how they work as well as steps to be taken to try to avoid them. The author actually does an excellent job of explaining the various threats, common signs of infection, and how to remove them. He even includes a list of common file names used by pests. While this is all good information for the person who wants a basic understanding of what is going on and how it is accomplished it does not deal with some of the truly malicious pests that even pest removal software does not remove. For example, there are some now that cannot be removed even by entering the registry in safe mode and trying to remove the key. I've had some where I've had to boot to Linux, mount the drive, remove the key and then boot back into Windows. These particularly tenacious ones are not covered in this text and as such it cannot be recommended for the true computer geek who does this for a living or as a computer network administrator. On the other hand, it is perfectly suited for the home user who has some of the common problems and wants to both fix them and do all they can to prevent being reinfected. It contains one of the better discussions of pests for the average user that I have come across. The book is written for the average reader and contains no real technical terms. PC Pest Control is recommended for the average user who wants to become informed about PC Pests or who wants to resolve some of the more common problems.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Stop Those Internet Pests From Ruining Your Computer Life!!Sep 30, 2005
By Daniel McKinnon
"Dan"
"PC Pest Control" is an outstanding look at the common problems that computer users will face on a daily basis. Preston Gralla writes in a concise, clear manner that will benefit anyone from the most novice of user to the most experienced (while the focus is on novice to amateur, this is a nice overview that will help reinforce the old pros).
The author looks at the most common problems users will face, broken up into the following topics:
Viruses
Spyware
Trojans
Bots
Spam
Worms
IM Annoyances
Identity Theft
Wireless Signal/Data Theft
Mr. Gralla not only provides the history and background on how these threats came to be, but he goes into thorough detail about what everyday users can do to make their computer experience as "pest free" as possible through the use of:
Anti-virus programs
Anti-spyware programs
Stronger e-mail filters/applications
Recommendations for how to protect from Identity Theft
Locking down MAC/IP addresses to limit wireless theft
This is just a quick overview of what this fantastic book provides. For anyone that wants to learn more about what problems users will face on a daily basis by going online (or just sharing data), the author goes into exceptional detail and you will be hard-pressed to not find this manual instantly useful.
I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to tighten down their own computers or their own computer behavior and I honestly think it's a steal at the price that this book goes for, considering how dense the material is inside.
You won't be disappointed!!!
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Good Information for Novice Computer UsersSep 15, 2005
By Christopher Byrne
"The Business Controls Caddy"
In a graphic presented in today's USA Today, it was reported that 64% of people who responded to a survey said they were not concerned about having their financial identities stolen. The people must be incredibly naive, or they are so on top of all the possible threats that they really have no worry. I tend to think it is the former and recommend these people read PC Pest Control by Preston Gralla (O'Reilly, 284 pages, 2005, ISBN 0596009267). Digging a bit deeper into PC pests than the excellent Internet Privacy Annoyances (see related review), Gralla provides an excellent reference resource for people who are concerned about protecting their home networks and computers from intruders, malware, spyware and more.
Laid out in a very easy to follow and easy to read format, Gralla walks the reader through various topics. These include the problems with web browsers, instant messaging, and phishing. He also takes the potentially novice reader on a tour of their computer to understand what vulnerabilities they may face. Occasionally, he throws in tidbits for computer users in the business world, such as a quote from IM Logic referring to an individual fired for their instant messaging conversations.
Gralla will explain to you how viruses and trojans work. He will also teach you how to explore the Windows registry for hidden problems. But there is one glaring problem I have with the book. Throughout the book, Gralla throws around his personal opinions, such as "throw Internet Explorer out the window". While I, and others, may agree with his opinions, that have should not be written as flippantly as they are in a book from a technical publisher. He should have at least chosen his words more carefully so his views come across more objectively.
Who Should Read This Book
This book really is for the novice, or naive, computer user. More experienced technical professionals might glean a few bits of wisdom but that is about all. These professionals should, however, keep a copy handy to give to their problem users who constantly ask "why" something has to be.
The Scorecard
Birdie on a Par 4 (for novice users)
See all 10 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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