Chapter 1. Internet Security 101

This chapter addresses the following topics:

• Network Attacks: A Serious Problem— Understand the seriousness of network threats, the current statistical trends, and the availability and sophistication of attack tools.

• Assessing Your Vulnerability to Network Attacks— Learn what makes you or your company vulnerable to a network or computer attack.

• Attack Impact— Discover the real and hidden costs that a company can incur if attacked, as well as government regulations and liabilities that can be incurred for violation of those regulations.

• Attackers— Understand the various reasons why hackers attack systems, how they launch their attacks, and how they choose their victims.

• Protecting Yourself and Your Business— Explore solutions that you can deploy to protect computers and networks.

One of the main ideas you should walk away with after reading this book is that implementing Internet access and doing it securely is neither difficult nor intimidating. In this book, you learn in a straightforward way what threats exist and how to defend against those threats. No one can guarantee an absolutely risk-free Internet experience, but if you follow the recommendations in this book, you will have protection against almost all known and unknown attacks.