Author
provides roadmap through security maze
by
Alan Zisman (c) 2006 First published in
Business
in Vancouver April 11-17, 2006:
issue 859
High Tech Office column;
If
you’ve glanced at this column over the past couple of years,
you’ll
have noticed the increasing attention to PC security-related issues.
That’s because Internet-connected computer users,
particularly Windows
users, who ignore these issues put their computerized data and the
computers and data of their friends, family and colleagues at risk.
While
I’m at risk of becoming a nag, there’s only so much
I can say in a
600-word weekly column. For more information, you might want to check
out Toronto-based technology writer Andy
Walker. His 2006 book,
Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Security, Spam, Spyware
& Viruses (Que
Publishing, $30: ISBN 0-7897-3459-1), notes on the cover
that “No prior
experience is necessary!”
But
while this may be true, it’s an unnecessary disclaimer. We
all have
prior experience: experience receiving virus-infected e-mail
attachments. Experience with spyware slowing down our computers and
with ads popping up for no apparent reason. Experience with spam
e-mails promising larger sexual organs or a share in African millions.
And, lately, experience with phishing e-mails hoping we’ll
share bank
account numbers and passwords.
With
a sense of humour that never distracts from the seriousness of the
topic, Walker covers nearly all the bases: viruses, spyware, spam,
hackers, identity thieves and wireless network snoops.
He’s
not afraid to make recommendations: products, both free and for sale
that are must-haves and ones that are must-avoids.
A
few caveats: the book focuses on Windows XP. This isn’t a bad
thing,
since the bulk of the book’s potential audience is running
this current
Windows version. Users of older Microsoft
Windows versions can still
find the book valuable, but the examples and illustrations are all
XP-centric.
And
getting a book into print has a relatively long lead time. In order to
make an early 2006 publication date, Walker had to finish his book in
the fall of 2005. As a result, he missed a major security issue that
hit that winter: the rise of root kits, notably (but not exclusively)
on several Sony
music CDs. And at least one recommended product, the
software then known as Microsoft AntiSpyware is now available in a new
and improved (and still free) version with a new name: Microsoft
Windows Defender.
But
don’t wait for version 2.0. If you’re responsible
for your own computer
at home or in a small business or even if you’ve got an IT
person
who’ll clean up after your digital messes, you’ll
find this book will
help you better understand the current computer security mess and help
keep you from getting stuck in it. Or, if you’re the sort of
person who
reads the last page first, I’ll cut to the chase. Walker ends
each
chapter with an “Absolute Minimum” set of
recommendations. The final
chapter is on security products you should own. The short-list:
Best free antivirus program: Grisoft
AVG (home use only);
Best commercial antivirus products: F-Secure
Anti-Virus and Eset
NOD32;
Great free anti-spyware products: Microsoft
Windows Defender and Spybot
Search
& Destroy;
Recommended paid products: PestPatrol and PC Tools Spyware
Doctor.
Free and paid firewalls: various versions of
ZoneAlarm.
Anti-spam: Cloudmark
Desktop (no free version).