PC Pest Control: Protect Your Computers from Malicious Internet Invaders

by Preston Gralla

The Internet is rife with all kinds of creepy PC bugs. In the first six months of 2004, almost 5,000 new Windows viruses and worms were discovered that were capable of compromising computer security.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596009267
• ISBN13: 9780596009267
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 275 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Covers all kinds of PC pests, from adware to viruses, Torjans, and pop-ups

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.

THE PC PEST MOTEL: THEY CHECK IN, BUT THEY CAN'T CHECK OUT!

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.

Stop Those Internet Pests From Ruining Your Computer Life!!

"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

The perfect title for all non-geek computer owners...

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...

Thorough, thoughtful and deep.

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.