PC Magazine Fighting Spyware, Viruses, and Malware [Paperback]

Ed Tittel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764577697 | ISBN-13: 978-0764577697 | Publication Date: December 31, 2004 | Edition: 1

Think there's no malicious software on your computer? PC Magazine thinks you should think again.

Scans by ISPs have revealed as many as twenty-eight spyware programs running on the average home computer--like yours. That's a lot of people prying into what's on your PC, and a DSL or cable connection is a virtual welcome mat. But by following Ed Tittel's advice, you can learn how invasions occur, spot an infestation, repair damage that's already done, and slam the door on those who want to hijack your PC--along with your wallet.

Here's how you can
* Learn to recognize when a Trojan horse, a virus, adware, or spyware has invaded your PC
* Get the tools that can cure an infection
* Dig into the Windows Registry to remove the nastiest of bugs
* Prevent a recurrence with personal firewalls and protective software
* Deal with the onslaught of spam
* Keep your defenses up-to-date


Give it the boot

If you believe you've caught something and you're willing to kiss everything goodbye that you've added to or changed ... since the last time you booted up your computer ... try this. While Windows is first booting up, hit the F8 key .... Choose the Last Known Good Configuration option, and Windows should boot running the version of the Registry that existed the last time your system booted--that is, before you got infected.
-- From Chapter 4

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Think there's no malicious software on your computer? PC Magazine thinks you should think again.

Scans by ISPs have revealed as many as twenty-eight spyware programs running on the average home computer—like yours. That's a lot of people prying into what's on your PC, and a DSL or cable connection is a virtual welcome mat. But by following Ed Tittel's advice, you can learn how invasions occur, spot an infestation, repair damage that's already done, and slam the door on those who want to hijack your PC—along with your wallet.

Here's how you can

• Learn to recognize when a Trojan horse, a virus, adware, or spyware has invaded your PC
• Get the tools that can cure an infection
• Dig into the Windows Registry to remove the nastiest of bugs
• Prevent a recurrence with personal firewalls and protective software
• Deal with the onslaught of spam
• Keep your defenses up-to-date

Give it the boot

If you believe you've caught something and you're willing to kiss everything goodbye that you've added to or changed ... since the last time you booted up your computer ... try this. While Windows is first booting up, hit the F8 key .... Choose the Last Known Good Configuration option, and Windows should boot running the version of the Registry that existed the last time your system booted—that is, before you got infected.
— From Chapter 4

About the Author

Ed Tittel has been writing, researching, and teaching about Windows security topics since 1996. An inveterate tinkerer cursed with incurable curiosity, he's become a connoisseur of protection tools and techniques to battle spyware, adware, and malware.

Product Details

• Paperback: 382 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764577697
• ISBN-13: 978-0764577697
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ed Tittel is a full-time freelance writer, trainer, and consultant who specializes in information security, markup languages, and networking technologies. He is a regular contributor to numerous TechTarget websites; teaches online security and technology courses for HP; and writes regularly for Tom's Hardware and ITExpertVoice.

Ed has contributed to over 100 books on various computing subjects, including a dozen different titles in the ...For Dummies series. He is probably best known for creating the Exam Cram series of IT certification prep books in 1997, and for having edited that series from 1997 until 2006. Ed's best-selling titles include "HTML, XHTML and CSS For Dummies" (soon to go into a 7th edition, for a cumulative total of 13 editions of HTML For Dummies titles he's worked on), "The Guide to TCP/IP" (which he co-authored with protocol expert Laura Chappell), "Windows Server 2008 For Dummies," and "Networking Essentials." He's also written numerous titles on security including the "CISSP Study Guide" (4th edition, with co-authors James Michael Stewart and Mike Chapple), "The PC Magazine Guide to Fighting Spyware, Viruses, and Malware," and the "TISCA Training Guide."

For more information on Ed, please visit his personal Website at www.edtittel.com. You can also visit his profile on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/edtittel to get information about various blogs and other activities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fighting malware, August 4, 2005

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PC Magazine Fighting Spyware, Viruses, and Malware (Paperback)

Tittel can certainly unsettle the reader! He warns of the increasing encroachments against your computer. The biggest single danger is that this might be your home computer. Not a computer at your workplace, for which you might be able to ask a sysadmin for help.

So it's you and Tittel against the 3 menaces. Be aware that the terminology in the text and title may vary from what others use. Often, malware is taken to include viruses. I think he chose to break viruses out separately from malware so that the title would outreach to more people. Malware is still somewhat of a techie term, while spyware and viruses have broader recognition.

Naturally, since we're discussing personal computers, the text tends to focus on those running a Microsoft operating system. But in fact, much of his advice applies to Macs and linux/unix machines. Though users of the former 2 types might take heart in knowing that most viruses or worms won't go after their machines.

Tittel explains that increasingly, it's harder to draw clear lines between malware, spyware and adware. But he shows how to use existing anti-malware products that can scan for these and remove them. These products use combinations of signatures of known malware, and also search for "strange" activity that is typical of malware. However, since new variants of malware are continually being developed and found, you should always download the latest sets of signatures from your vendor, before running the tests.

Tittel also gives a succinct description of phishing. A particularly virulent type of malware that has increased enormously in the last 2 years. He suggests that you scrutinise the links and be very wary of any message that asks for personal information; either in a reply, or in a web page pointed to from that message. Unfortunately, the phishers continue to refine their tactics and many users simply aren't savvy enough to follow Tittel's suggestions. These users may be a minority, but there are enough of them to make this worthwhile for the phishers.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Overall Viewpoint, March 4, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PC Magazine Fighting Spyware, Viruses, and Malware (Paperback)

Any of us connected on-line for even a few minutes has probably been the recipient of at least one virus attack.

Not only viruses, but many other kinds of intrusive software would like to come into your machine for its own purpose. This book talks about the major kinds of invasions you might expect and how to prevent them from entering your machine.

Most of us have learned about viruses the hard way, we cought them and then had to learn how to clean the system. Here in one book is a complete introduction to the problem. It covers all the common types of problems a PC is likely to encounter in one place.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wordy but helpful, March 16, 2006

By 

Music Man "Joel" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PC Magazine Fighting Spyware, Viruses, and Malware (Paperback)

This book gives alot of information, probably more than most will want to read. But if you can wade through all of it you will find some very useful information. It is very techinical information. It does however provide an indepth explanation of how viruses, hijackers, etc work and what you can do to protect yourself. Overall it is a great buy with very much useful info.