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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Everyone Needs to Know, 14 Mar 2006
Having served as the person in our firm with the most paranoia about computer security, I have been constantly struck by how careless people can be in this area. It's as though computer security can be assumed to be in place . . . rather than being something that needs to be encouraged, nurtured and observed.While I often read technical manuals on computer security to catch up with the latest, none of those manuals could hope to attract a full reading by anyone who has ever worked for me. I was delighted to find that the Second Edition of Computer Security: 20 Things Every Employee Should Know has everything in it that I hope all my employees will remember to do. The book is brief, it's accurate and it's easy to understand. If you follow Mr. Rothke's advice, most major problems will be avoided. The book opens by explaining about phishing and spyware by explaining what they are and why an employee should want to avoid them. Here's the advice: 1. Don't reply or click on links asking for personal or financial information.
2. Don't download programs from companies you don't know.
3. Keep your computer secure with pop-up blockers, a fire wall, and anti-virus and anti-spyware software. I particularly liked the non-technical advice such as the one on avoiding identity theft. The book also has little case studies of what can go wrong. One of my favorites was an employee who wanted to go home and let a new employee use his security access card so she could keep working. Where there is a technical element, Mr. Rothke keeps that simple. For instance, protection by having a password that contains both numerals and letters is explained in terms of the new programs that can be used to check standard English words and names in a few minutes. There are also useful hints that are unrelated to being an employee such as being aware that your company may be tracking your usage. Do you really want people to know all about your personal habits? If not, don't pursue them at work or on a company device? For more complicated situations, Mr. Rothke explains when to go for help from the company's IT security team. Many people don't realize they can make things worse by trying to fix problems themselves. Nice going, Mr. Rothke!
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