I’m an experienced book reviewer but to date pretty much everything I’ve done has been related to zombies & horror(!). Well, time for a change. As I build up my own security library, I’m going to review the best books I find. Now we’re all different so maybe they won’t float your boat but I’ve found them useful on my path….
So, here we go….something in here for most people I think:
With the full title of: Internet Security Made Easy: Take Control of Your Online World, author Richard Williams dons a superman cape to try to gather together everything ‘most users’ need to know about being safe online & all that jazz….an impossible task you say?
Now, I must confess, no matter how bold the claim, I love this kind of book. I grabbed a copy of the paperback in a discount book shop – costs around £4 on amazon (links below). It’s a pretty glossy volume, good quality & well-laid out.
First things first – it says ‘straightforward’ on the cover & the book stays true to that mantra. So, even if you are a budding ‘security’ fanatic like me, there is plenty in there for everyone – be it a recap or some new stuff for you.
I knew much of the content on the history of the Internet, the web & virus types but it was great to get this refresher to make sure everything was straight in my own mind. Equally, I think this would be an ideal primer for anyone who wants to get to grips with ‘security’.
Considering it was published in 2015, it’s all dated pretty well – perhaps with the exception of the anti-virus software providers section – which to be honest, isn’t a million miles out. The mobile content probably needs a bit of an update but again, it’s pretty close to the mark.
The author is not a technical expert & I think this helps his quest. He basically takes everything floating out there & gets it into a format we can all understand. I liked his style & the pages were laid out specifically to make things easy to get a handle on.
Contents include an introduction to the Internet & web, some general bumpf on online security, a section on anti-virus software, browsers & some more advanced trouble shooting content.
My only slight criticism of the book is when it addresses dealing with some of the more troublesome malware that can both hide in your system & dodge many virus-checkers. This is the kind of threat that sometimes involves delving in the registry of your operating system & the book includes some detail on what to delete once you’re in this Aladdin’s Cave. To be fair, the author does warn you to back up your system & it is perhaps advice intended folks on the more advanced side of the user spectrum but still, I felt I should point it out. Messing around in your registry can cause you some serious headaches, that’s all I’d say. It’s one of those areas where a little knowledge is very dangerous. Just a small point really.
I’ve had this book around 6 months now. I’ve not read it from cover to cover but I’ve read chunks of it on an on-going basis & found it to be a really useful volume. By now, I reckon I’ve pawed over every page at least once!
It really sets out what it plans to do. There’s something in there for everyone & it’s a good recap of what we should all know about staying safe & secure online. Thoroughly recommended & well-worth the price.
Crazy Adventures in Cyber Security 