Customer Reviews

PC Pest Control: Protect Your Computers from Malicious Internet Invaders

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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...

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.

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.

"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

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 <strong><u>PC Pest Control</u></strong> by Preston Gralla (O'Reilly, 284 pages, 2005, ISBN 0596009267). Digging a bit deeper into PC pests than the excellent <strong><u>Internet Privacy Annoyances</u></strong> (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)

Very helpful book.
but it is 2010 and an update to it should be written.

Preston Gralla's PC Pest Control: Protect Your Computers From Malicious Internet Invaders covers all kinds of PC pests, from adware to viruses, Torjans, and pop-ups. This not only identifies the characteristics of common invaders - it tells how to prevent attacks. From locating and installing free anti-spyware programs to customizing cookie handling and dealing with worms, this assumes no prior knowledge and comes packed with preventative tips which are simple and inexpensive to employ.

Think you're safe online because you're running firewall and anti-spam software? Wrong! As author Preston Gralla, points out in this outstanding book: "As long as you're armed with the right knowledge and tools, you'll be able to stop pests and intruders cold!"

Gralla begins by scaring you to death with a discussion about all of the dangerous PC pests that exist. Next, the author shows you where your computer is vulnerable and how pests make their way into your system. Then, you'll learn about the software you need to keep your system secure. The author continues by showing you how to detect pests based on the symptoms you see on your PC, such as pop-up swarms, system slowdowns, and clogged Internet access. In addition, you'll also learn how to protect yourself from threats or disinfect yourself if you've already been hit. The author also focuses on how to kill all types of spyware and keep your PC free from infection. Next, you'll learn how to protect yourself against the oldest and newest PC pests, viruses, Trojans, and bots. Then, the author shows you why you don't need to stop e-mailing or sending instant messages if you want to protect yourself. He continues by showing you how to keep yourself off spam lists--and how to kill spam before it ever makes its way to your PC. In addition, the author also covers how to protect your self and your kids against online dangers, plus a whole lot more. Finally, he also covers the kinds of threats you encounter when using wireless computing at home or at a hotspot, and shows you what you can do about them.

At the end of the day, if Internet invaders are still attacking your home computers, you need to really read this most excellent book--again and again. Why you ask? Because, if you're still being attacked, you only skimmed through this book; and, did not comprehend why various pests invaded your PC and/or followed Gralla's general advice about prevention, monitoring, and recovery.

I recently had this book for a course in Malware and was pretty disappointed in the content, then even more disappointed that it was selected for the course.

If you have a shred of technical background, most of the contents should be common sense. Most of the programs offered for prevention and protection are dated and/or merged with other companies. For instance, it talks about Mozilla and Firefox being too separate browsers. Over the last few years, leaps and bounds have been made in the malware arena and this book just isn't relevant anymore. Another thing that didn't appeal to me was the repetitiveness of information, usually on the same page. In the virus, trojan areas, it would list a few of each on the same page...each with almost identical definitions and info about that particular piece of malware. I'm aware that most malicious code is the same, but there is no need to repeat it 6x on a page.

I would be wary to offer this as a gift for family friends as someone else eluded to. I already have extremely paranoid family members with regards to their personal information and the internet...if they reading the first two chapters, they would pull their plug on their cable modems and never load up their browser again.

The images are goofy, content is dated and not relevant as well as being way too repetitive. I would look elsewhere for malware info, even at the layman level.

I received this book just shortly before Hurricane Katrina hit. I took the book with me as I evacuated to Southern Mississippi but was so busy for the three weeks that I was away from my home, that I did not have a chance to read it. When I returned home after three weeks, I was confronted with a HUGH oak tree sitting on my home. That was removed yesterday for $3500.00. Now, I am in the middle of Hurricane Rita. So, perhaps you should ask someone who is not in a Hurricane path to review this book.
Nancy