Ransomware, Viruses, Social Engineering and Other Threats : Protecting Your Digital Assets.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

BOURNE, Kelly.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Computer security.

Computer viruses.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (474 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Herndon, VA : Mercury Learning & Information, 2025.

Summary:

This book describes common threats to your cybersecurity and practical steps you can take to avoid them.Threats explained include weak or reused passwords, malware, viruses, social engineering, outdated software, ransomware, the internet of things (IoT) and risky Internet browsing.

Contents:

Half Title

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Who Are the Bad Guys?

The Motivation of Hackers

It Is Not Always Black and White

Motives of Attackers

References

Chapter 2: Cyberthreats

Account Takeover (ATO) Attacks

Targets of Account Takeover Attacks

How Bad Actors Obtain Victim Accounts and Passwords

Outcomes of an ATO Attack

Recognizing ATO Attacks

Avoiding an Account Takeover Attack

Bots

Red Flags Indicating a Computer Might be a Bot

Preventing a Computer from Becoming a Bot

Recover a Computer That Has Become a Bot

Credential Stuffing Attacks

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Attacks

What an XSS Attack Can Do

Protecting Against XSS Attacks

Cryptojacking

Effects of Cryptojacking

Avoiding Cryptojacking

Removing Cryptojacking Software

Denial of Service Attacks (DoS and DDoS)

Purposes of DDoS Attacks

Drive-By Download Attacks

Threats Posed by Drive-By Attacks

How Drive-By Attacks May Occur

Avoiding Drive-By Attacks

Preventing Drive-By Attacks for Web Site Owners

Insider Attacks

Recognizing an Insider Threat

Minimizing the Damage of an Insider Attack

Malvertising

Malvertising Threats

Avoiding Malvertising

Removing Malvertising

Malware

Man-in-the-Middle Attacks (MitM)

Protecting Against MitM Attacks

Phishing

Variations of Phishing Attacks

Avoiding Phishing Scams

Ransomware

Rootkit Attacks

Well-known Rootkit Attacks

Determining If a Computer Has a Rootkit

Rootkit Defensive Measures

Removing a Rootkit

Scareware

Avoiding Scareware

Managing Scareware

Spoofing

Avoiding Spoofing

Spyware

How Spyware Gets Installed

Avoiding Spyware

Spyware Red Flags

Removing Spyware

Supply Chain Attacks

Avoiding Supply Chain Attacks.

Trojan Horses

Trojan Horse Attack Examples

Preventing Trojan Horse Attacks

Removing a Trojan Horse

USB Device Attacks

AutoPlay Danger

USB Infections Move Both Ways

USB Drop Attacks

Examples of USB Drive Attacks

Avoiding USB Attacks

Viruses

What Can a Virus Do?

Minimizing the Chances of Getting Infected with a Virus

Removing a Virus from a Computer

Watering Hole Attacks

Wiper Attacks

Protecting Against a Wiper Attack

Worms

Zero-Day Exploits

Can a User Protect Themselves from a Zero-Day Exploit?

Chapter 3: Ransomware

What is Ransomware?

Evolution of Ransomware

Types of Devices Being Attacked

Computers and Tablets

Mobile Phones

Servers

Kiosks

IoT Devices

Who Are the Victims of Ransomware?

Large Corporations

Hospitals

Government Agencies

School Districts

Professionals

Small- to Medium-Sized Businesses

Individuals

Advantages of an Individual in a Cyberattack

Other Ways Individuals Are Affected By Ransomware

Examples of Recent Ransomware Attacks

How Much Will It Cost?

Examples of Significant Types of Ransomware

Ransomware Attack Vectors

Damage Caused by Ransomware

Backups Can Be Targeted

Legal Breach Liabilities

Additional Challenge: Another Attack

Ransomware as a Service

Ransomware Payments: An Ethical and Financial Challenge

Mitigating Damage from Ransomware

How to Respond to a Ransomware Attack

Chapter 4: Social Engineering

What is Social Engineering?

Social Engineering and Emotions

The History of Social Engineering

Examples of Social Engineering Attacks

Social Engineering Terms

The Dangers of Social Engineering

The Effectiveness of Social Engineering

Preparing for Social Engineering Attacks

Social Engineering Attacks Are Likely to Worsen.

Protection Against Social Engineering Attacks

Chapter 5: Passwords

Background

How Do Passwords Work?

Reusing Passwords

Passphrases as Alternatives to Passwords

The Efficacy of Passwords

Why Passwords Need to Change

How Often to Change Passwords

How Cybercriminals Crack Passwords

Password Cracking Tools

Dictionary Attack

Guessing Passwords

Installing Malware On A Computer

Brute Force

Credential Stuffing

Password Managers

Social Engineering Password Scams

Security Questions

Final Tips For Protecting Passwords

Chapter 6: MFA (Multifactor Authentication)

Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

What Are the Factors?

Biometrics: "Something You Are"

How MFA Works

Examples of MFA Systems

When to Use MFA

Pros and Cons of MFA

The Challenges to MFA

Biometric Authentication Security

Social Engineering the Service Desk

SIM Swapping

MFA Prompt Bombing

Stealing Biometric Data

Adaptive MFA

The Future of MFA

Chapter 7: Viruses and Worms

What is a Virus?

Viruses vs. Worms

How Widespread Are Viruses?

Devices a Virus Can Infect

A History of Viruses

How Viruses Spread

Signs of a Virus Infection

Signs of a Mobile Phone Infection

Ways to Avoid Catching Viruses

Removing Viruses

Antivirus (AV) Products

How AV Software Works

Signature-Based Detection

Heuristic-Based Detection

Behavior-Based Detection

AV Qualities to Look For

Support

Viruses Evolve

The Future of Viruses

Chapter 8: Patches and Updates

What are Patches and Updates?

Updates

Patches

Patch and Upgrade Terms

Version Numbers

The Dangers of Not Patching

Unpatched Devices Enable Attacks

Potential Costs of Not Patching

Downside of Patching.

Software That Needs Patching

Operating Systems

Browsers

User-Oriented Applications

Business-Oriented Applications

Development Platforms and Support Software

Patch Management

Rebooting After a Patch

Rollback Plans

Automatic Updates

Updates on Mobile Devices

Patching Tools

Beware of Fake Patches

Not All Software Can Be Patched

Chapter 9: Email

Understanding Email

Parts of an Email Address

Email Providers

Email Clients

SMTP Server

Establishing a Connection

Metadata

Email Dangers

Blind Copy

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Email Account Takeover Attacks

Emails at Work

Email Security

Email Forwarding

Reply All

Spam

Spy Pixels

Wrong Addresses

Protecting Against Email Risks

Strong Passwords

Two Factor Authentication

Confirm Via Another Channel

Do Not Open Phishing Emails

Encrypting Email

Use a Secure Email Service

Unattended Computers

Delete Old/Unneeded Email

Email Accounts Get Hacked

Signs of a Hacked Email Account

Recovering from a Hacked Email Account

Employer's Account

ISP-Provided Email Accounts

Free vs. Paid Providers

Tools that Provide Protection

The Future of Email Threats

Artificial Intelligence

Chapter 10: Social Media

Social Media Platforms

The Dangers of Social Media

Bad Advice

Fraud Initiated on Social Media Sites

Investment Scams

Romance Scams

Investment Red Flags

Online Shopping Scams

Avoiding Social Media Scams

Being Tracked by Social Media Apps

Personally Identifiable Information Collected

Social Media and Hacking

Social Media Site Attacks

Social Media Accounts Get Hacked

Recognizing That an Account Has Been Hacked

Recovering from a Hacked Account.

Social Media Algorithms

Using Social Media Safely

Chapter 11: Backups

What is a Backup?

Backups Are Critical

When a Backup Might be Needed

Devices That Need to Be Backed Up

Devices That Do Not Need Backing Up

Data That Should Be Backed Up

Operating Systems (OSs)

Different Backups

Combining Different Types of Backups

How Often Should Backups Be Created?

Backup Media

Backup Media and Storage Concerns

Online vs. Offline

On-site vs. Off-site

3-2-1 Rule

Immutability

Creating a Backup

Cloning

Creating a Windows Clone

Windows Restore Points

Windows File History

Creating Backups in the File History

Restoring from the File History

Security and the File History

Apple Time Machine

Backup Tools

Encrypt Backups

Recovery Plan

Manual or Automated?

Testing Backups

Chapter 12: Browsing Safely

Browsing Fundamentals

Internet vs. World Wide Web

Search Engine

Internet Service Providers (ISP)

Extensions and Plug-ins

Extension Dangers

Scripts

Wi-Fi

Browsing Dangers

Ads

Clickbait

Cookies

Downloads

Phishing Attacks

Privacy

Tracking

Steps to Surf Securely

Antivirus Software

Autofill

Be Cautious

Browser Cache

Browser Settings

Delete Web Browsing History

Incognito Browsing

Privacy Tools

Secure Browsers

VPN

Transport Layer Security (TLS) vs. Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Update the Browser

Firefox

Chrome

Edge

Updating Extensions and Plug-Ins

Secure Web Sites

Unsafe Websites

Web Site Certificates

Browser Security Maintenance Steps

Chapter 13: Virtual Private Networks

What is a Virtual Private Network?

Why Use a VPN?

How a VPN Works

VPN Strengths

VPN Limitations

When to Use a VPN.

VPNs Do Not Guarantee 100% Anonymity.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

ISBN:

1-5015-2041-5

OCLC:

1520023135