Preface

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Hello! Welcome to the Addison-Wesley "Stopping Spyware" e-book. This title came about as a way to fill a need that we saw for home computer owners: a straightforward, no-nonsense guide that would explain what spyware is, how to avoid being infected with it, and how to remove it from your computer if you've already been "hit." Spyware is one of those topics that you've begun to hear about every day, both online and even on your television's evening news, but much of what you often hear is either far too enveloped in technical jargon to be meaningful or wrapped up in "There's a new threat on the Internet!" five o'clock news sensationalism. So we decided that it was time for a book that would cut to the core of the problem of spyware and offer practical advice on how to deal with it. The result is the book that you're reading now.

I'm primarily gearing this book towards home and home office settings since most corporate IT offices have (or should have) their own policies and procedures in place to secure their computers, and I don't want to go stepping on any of my colleagues' toes. So I'm assuming that you have one or more computers in your home that are connected to the Internet, and that you're trying to get a handle on securing those computers against viruses, spyware, and other forms of malicious software. I also assume that you're at least reasonably comfortable using Microsoft Windows I won't be asking you to perform any ultra-complicated technical tasks like writing computer programs or editing Windows system files, but you should be at ease with using the keyboard and the mouse, opening and closing programs, navigating the Start Menu, and saving a file to your hard drive.

This book is divided into six sections followed by an appendix. These sections should be read in order, and they consist of the following:

  • The Spyware Menace. This section will provide you with an introduction to spyware: what it is, how you can become infected with it, and how to recognize the different types of spyware that you'll come across.

  • Protecting Yourself from Spyware. In this section we get down to the nuts and bolts of how to defend yourself against spyware infections from the Internet. I'll walk you step-by-step through different measures you can take to secure your home computer and your web browser. I'll also introduce you to the use of personal firewalls.

  • Installing Spyware Protection. Here we'll get down to comparing a few popular anti-spyware software applications that are specifically designed to detect and remove spyware infections. Most of these are available for free or for a nominal cost, and I'll show you what features you should look for when choosing anti-spyware software for your home computer. We'll also see three such products in action: LavaSoft Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy, and the Microsoft Anti-Spyware tool.

  • What If I'm Already Infected? You may have turned to this book because your home computer has already been hit with a spyware infection, and now you're trying to return your PC back to normal. In this section we'll talk about ways to clean up a computer that's already been infected by spyware.

  • What If I Can't Fix It? Okay, now it's getting serious. You've installed every spyware removal tool you can think of, and you still can't seem to solve the problem. This section will offer you some advice on where to turn for help and on planning for a worst-case scenario if you cannot remove the spyware problem.

  • The Need for Data Protection. Even though this section lives at the conclusion of this book, safeguarding your personal information, data, and files should actually be at the forefront of your mind when it comes to protecting your home or home office PC. We'll close out this book by looking at ways to set up a regular plan to back up your critical files, whether these are financial records from a small business or irreplaceable family photos. I'll offer you practical advice on how to back up your data files using tools that are built right into your Windows computer.

  • Appendix: This is something of a "kitchen sink" of links about protecting your computer, your identity, and your family's well-being from Internet security risks. I've tried to distill the "information overload" that typifies the average Google search into a few reputable and easy-to-read links to help you in protecting your home computer.

Finally, I'd like to thank the following individuals for helping to nurture this project through to its final completion. Any omissions are my own and purely unintentional:

  • The editorial staff at Addison-Wesley for championing both me and this project: Jessica Goldstein, Catherine Nolan, Curt Johnson, Elizabeth Peterson, and Frank Vella.

  • My reviewers for their depth and insight: Steve Friedl (www.unixwiz.net), Audrey Doyle, and Rick Kingslan.

  • Members of the University of Pennsylvania technical community who have impacted me both personally and professionally: John J. Mulhern III, Mark Aseltine, Jeff Douthett, Rob Short, Steve Strawser, Cynthia Compere, Bob Desilets, Kristin Nelson, Mike Lazenka, Dave Millar, Joshua Beeman, John Lupton, Dave Taylor, Richard C. Salmon Jr., Wilson Chang, and David Domico.

  • The Microsoft Security community, both Microsoft staff and MVPs: Susan Bradley, Alun Jones, Steve Friedl, Emily Freet, Jerry Bryant, Jesper Johannsen, Steve Riley, and Mike Nash.

  • And of course, my family: Mom, Dad, and Bryan.

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    Stopping Spyware
    Stopping Spyware
    ISBN: 1463585381
    EAN: N/A
    Year: 2006
    Pages: 31

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