Absolute Beginner's Guide to Security, Spam, Spy ware and Viruses

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Security, Spam, Spy ware and Viruses
Andy Walker
Que
ISBN 0-7897-3459-1
Non-Fiction, Technology, Computer
Reviewed by Pamela Crossland

The title says it all - this really is a beginner's guide, easy to read, all the information you need to know about protecting your PC and email from common threats. Andy Walker has a well deserved reputation for taking complex technology and explaining it in simple, straight forward manner.
He covers viruses, spy ware, hackers, identity thieves and phishers, spam, wireless network snoops, and privacy snoops - and that's just part one.The book covers Windows XP and it's flaws; he recommends using Mozilla Firefox to surf the web rather than Internet Explorer due to the security problems with XP. He shows the user how to tweak XP and plug some of the holes in the security "dike" that has plagued that operating system since it has been on the market.
Wiping the hard drive is a project no computer user undertakes unless dire circumstances provoke it. Walker takes the reader step by step through the process, cautioning that all installation disks, programs, and drivers as well as personal data such as bookmarks are saved before beginning this process. While I didn't wipe down my hard drive, I did tweak Windows XP on my computer, and used his guidelines for protecting my email as well as making my desktop secure from family and friends.
I highly recommend this book as a gift to anyone with a computer, especially to those fortunate individuals who find a wireless laptop under their Christmas tree.