Good information for the average computer user...

Target Audience
Anyone who is an internet user and hasn't thought about protecting their identity.

Contents
This book outlines the issues involved in protecting your identity in an online environment, along with giving practical suggestions on how to do so.

The book is divided into the following chapters: Identity Theft: Are You At Risk?; Protecting Your Hard Drive; Keeping Your Email Private; Self-Defense On The Web; Connecting To The Internet Safely; Are Your Kids Putting You At Risk?; If You Become A Victim; Configuring Your Browser And Firewall; Index

Review
If you're a long-time techno-geek, you've no doubt been aware of the risks of exposing your identity on the Internet. You make sure credit cards are only used over encrypted links, you don't fall for phishing scams, and so on. But as more people have started to go online over the years, the incidents of computer crime and identity theft have risen dramatically. To combat your exposure to those scams, you should read Hack Proofing Your Identity In The Information Age.

The typical computer user will pick up quite a bit from this book. The first chapter will introduce the concept of identity theft and how easy it is for someone to glean information from you and use it to open credit accounts. There is also information here on how to avoid theft by non-electronic methods, such as securing your mail and cell phone. Subsequent chapters go more into detail on specific areas, such as email and web browsing. While the authors rightly state that it is impossible to completely protect yourself against a determined attacker, reading and implementing the material that you find in this book will significantly decrease your chances of becoming a victim.

To the techno-geek who's been living in the computer age for a long time, you will undoubtedly know most of this information. Even so, it's not assured that you will never become a victim. The chapter titled If You Become A Victim is a good reference on what steps to take once you determine that you've been targeted. Since it can be a stressful experience to clean up the damage, the convenience of having all the steps spelled out for you can be a lifesaver.

Conclusion
A good book for people who have never considered the risks of identity theft as they surf the internet, as well as for someone who is trying to clean up the damage once the theft occurs.

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• Good information for the average computer user...
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