Understanding the Digital World : What You Need to Know about Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security / Brian Kernighan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kernighan, Brian, author.

Standardized Title:

D is for digital

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Computer networks--Security measures--Popular works.

Computer networks.

Computer science--Popular works.

Computer science.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (1 volume) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2017]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

The basics of how computer hardware, software, and systems work, and the risks they create for our privacy and securityComputers are everywhere. Some of them are highly visible, in laptops, tablets, cell phones, and smart watches. But most are invisible, like those in appliances, cars, medical equipment, transportation systems, power grids, and weapons. We never see the myriad computers that quietly collect, share, and sometimes leak vast amounts of personal data about us. Through computers, governments and companies increasingly monitor what we do. Social networks and advertisers know far more about us than we should be comfortable with, using information we freely give them. Criminals have all-too-easy access to our data. Do we truly understand the power of computers in our world?Understanding the Digital World explains how computer hardware, software, networks, and systems work. Topics include how computers are built and how they compute; what programming is and why it is difficult; how the Internet and the web operate; and how all of these affect our security, privacy, property, and other important social, political, and economic issues. This book also touches on fundamental ideas from computer science and some of the inherent limitations of computers. It includes numerous color illustrations, notes on sources for further exploration, and a glossary to explain technical terms and buzzwords.Understanding the Digital World is a must-read for all who want to know more about computers and communications. It explains, precisely and carefully, not only how they operate but also how they influence our daily lives, in terms anyone can understand, no matter what their experience and knowledge of technology.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Part I: Hardware

1. What's in a Computer?

2. Bits, Bytes, and Representation of Information

3. Inside the CPU

Wrapup on Hardware

Part II: Software

4. Algorithms

5. Programming and Programming Languages

6. Software Systems 7. Learning to Program

7. Learning to Program

Wrapup on Software

Part III: Communications

8. Networks

9. The Internet 10. The World Wide Web

10. The World Wide Web 11. Data and Information

11. Data and Information

12. Privacy and Security

13. Wrapping Up

Notes

Glossary

Index

Notes:

Revised edition of: D is for digital. 2011.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-225) and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

OCLC:

1109957595