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The Secret to Cybersecurity: A Simple Plan to Protect Your Family and Business from Cybercrime
Cybercrimes are a threat and as dangerous as an armed intruder—yet millions of Americans are complacent or simply uninformed of how to protect themselves. The Secret to Cybersecurity closes that knowledge gap by using real-life examples to educate readers.
It’s 2 a.m.—do you know who your child is online with?
According to author Scott Augenbaum, between 80 to 90 percent of students say they do whatever they want on their smartphones—and their parents don’t have a clue. Is that you? What about your online banking passwords, are they safe? Has your email account or bank/debit card ever been compromised? In 2018, there were data breaches at several major companies—If those companies have your credit or debit information, that affects you .
There are bad people in the world, and they are on the internet. They want to hurt you. They are based all over the world, so they’re hard at “work” when even you’re sleeping. They use automated programs to probe for weaknesses in your internet security programs. And they never stop.
Cybercrime is on the increase internationally, and it’s up to you to protect yourself. But how?
The Secret to Cybersecurity is the simple and straightforward plan to keep you, your family, and your business safe. Written by Scott Augenbaum, a 29-year veteran of the FBI who specialized in cybercrimes, it uses real-life examples to educate and inform readers, explaining who/why/how so you’ll have a specific takeaway to put into action for your family. Learn about the scams, methods, and ways that cyber criminals operate—and learn how to avoid being the next cyber victim.
It’s 2 a.m.—do you know who your child is online with?
According to author Scott Augenbaum, between 80 to 90 percent of students say they do whatever they want on their smartphones—and their parents don’t have a clue. Is that you? What about your online banking passwords, are they safe? Has your email account or bank/debit card ever been compromised? In 2018, there were data breaches at several major companies—If those companies have your credit or debit information, that affects you .
There are bad people in the world, and they are on the internet. They want to hurt you. They are based all over the world, so they’re hard at “work” when even you’re sleeping. They use automated programs to probe for weaknesses in your internet security programs. And they never stop.
Cybercrime is on the increase internationally, and it’s up to you to protect yourself. But how?
The Secret to Cybersecurity is the simple and straightforward plan to keep you, your family, and your business safe. Written by Scott Augenbaum, a 29-year veteran of the FBI who specialized in cybercrimes, it uses real-life examples to educate and inform readers, explaining who/why/how so you’ll have a specific takeaway to put into action for your family. Learn about the scams, methods, and ways that cyber criminals operate—and learn how to avoid being the next cyber victim.
- GenresTechnologyNonfiction
192 pages, Hardcover
Published January 29, 2019
40 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 3, 2020
Cybersecurity is a big part of my world, and I regularly speak to financial institutions about what they should be doing to better protect their businesses. A man who attended a number of my presentations contacted me asking if I had read this book, and I had not. After he read it, he sent me a wholehearted recommendation that I read the book. Despite feeling it wasn't really something I was going to get a lot from, I decided to read it, and I'm glad I did.
I cannot recommend this book enough to the lay person. Scott Augenbaum has done an outstanding job in this book laying out the current risks, threats, and vulnerabilities the average person faces in today's world, and his experience as a former FBI agent focusing on cyber crime lends much credibility to the stories he tells that should scare the average person - and rightfully so. Covering a broad range including ransomware, online banking, social media, the cloud, child safety and more, there is plenty here to learn from, and Scott goes just the right depth, in my opinion, for the average person to not be overwhelmed with tech talk and to understand the real problems and some solutions. Scott even goes over a great password methodology that is an almost exact mirror of the one I teach.
There is a ton of practical advice in this book, and there are useful take-aways in every single chapter. Seriously, if you are at all concerned about the current state of cyber security and awareness (and you should be!), quit thinking about it and buy this book. In fact, if you are fortunate enough to still have your parents with you, and they will read it, why not buy a copy for them too?
Back to my opening: this is not a book written for me, but if I were writing a book for cybersecurity awareness to the average person, I would consider this the bar I'd be striving to hit. It is, without a doubt, a book that needs to be read. I don't know Scott, nor do I have a stake at all in this book, but this book meets a need and it needs to be read.
I cannot recommend this book enough to the lay person. Scott Augenbaum has done an outstanding job in this book laying out the current risks, threats, and vulnerabilities the average person faces in today's world, and his experience as a former FBI agent focusing on cyber crime lends much credibility to the stories he tells that should scare the average person - and rightfully so. Covering a broad range including ransomware, online banking, social media, the cloud, child safety and more, there is plenty here to learn from, and Scott goes just the right depth, in my opinion, for the average person to not be overwhelmed with tech talk and to understand the real problems and some solutions. Scott even goes over a great password methodology that is an almost exact mirror of the one I teach.
There is a ton of practical advice in this book, and there are useful take-aways in every single chapter. Seriously, if you are at all concerned about the current state of cyber security and awareness (and you should be!), quit thinking about it and buy this book. In fact, if you are fortunate enough to still have your parents with you, and they will read it, why not buy a copy for them too?
Back to my opening: this is not a book written for me, but if I were writing a book for cybersecurity awareness to the average person, I would consider this the bar I'd be striving to hit. It is, without a doubt, a book that needs to be read. I don't know Scott, nor do I have a stake at all in this book, but this book meets a need and it needs to be read.
October 1, 2021
Excellent approach to planning a good cyber security strategy all with a charming storytelling flow. But the author should focus on the cyber crime instead of mentioning the country which the crime originated.
August 9, 2019
This review originally appeared in Volume 66 | Issue 3 of Technical Communication.
Unfortunately, it has become common to hear about another Internet security breach. With more of our lives being tied daily to the Internet, we increasingly have more to lose if our accounts are compromised. Augenbaum’s book, The Secret to Cybersecurity: A Simple Plan to Protect Your Family and Business from Cybercrime, breaks down Internet threats and teaches you how to prevent, avoid, or deal with them in easy to understand terms.
Augenbaum relies heavily on his extensive career in the FBI investigating cybercrime to convey the proper weight of poor Internet security. Each point includes a real-life example of how people were defrauded or otherwise compromised over the Internet. In Chapter 15, Ransomware, a situation where a third party encrypts your computer and demands payment in bitcoin to unlock it, the author describes several real-world events. These examples really emphasize how vulnerable you or other groups may be to online attacks. Topics discussed include elder scams, dating scams, phishing, and social media downfalls.
Fortunately, Augenbaum provides sound advice on how to avoid common online pitfalls. Throughout The Secret to Cybersecurity, he comes back to two main concepts: strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication. One common problem is that people re-use passwords across multiple accounts. So, if your website is compromised, that hacker may gain access to your email and other accounts, if the same password was used. Creating and keeping track of multiple passwords is difficult, so Augenbaum presents recommendations on how to structure your passwords and where to store them. (Hint: It is not in a file in your Google drive.) Coupling strong passwords with two-factor authentication is an excellent way to protect your accounts. Two-factor authentication requires that you have your cell phone present to log into your email or other online accounts. When you try and sign into your email account, a pop-up appears on your phone that you must acknowledge to access your email. That way, if your password is compromised, the hacker cannot use the account unless they have also stolen your cell phone. What Augenbaum does not do is give advice on configuring hardware to be more secure. For example, he does not tell you how to set up your wireless router to use stronger security.
Throughout The Secret to Cybersecurity, you will be presented with multiple scenarios that you can identify with and will terrify you. Almost every scenario listed could have been prevented if a strong password with two-factor authentication had been used, along with a good sense of what to click or not click on in the Internet. Will reading this book completely protect you from online attacks? Probably not. It should prepare you by strengthening your Internet knowledge and boosting your own online security procedures. This book is a resource that most people should read for their own safety and that of others.
Unfortunately, it has become common to hear about another Internet security breach. With more of our lives being tied daily to the Internet, we increasingly have more to lose if our accounts are compromised. Augenbaum’s book, The Secret to Cybersecurity: A Simple Plan to Protect Your Family and Business from Cybercrime, breaks down Internet threats and teaches you how to prevent, avoid, or deal with them in easy to understand terms.
Augenbaum relies heavily on his extensive career in the FBI investigating cybercrime to convey the proper weight of poor Internet security. Each point includes a real-life example of how people were defrauded or otherwise compromised over the Internet. In Chapter 15, Ransomware, a situation where a third party encrypts your computer and demands payment in bitcoin to unlock it, the author describes several real-world events. These examples really emphasize how vulnerable you or other groups may be to online attacks. Topics discussed include elder scams, dating scams, phishing, and social media downfalls.
Fortunately, Augenbaum provides sound advice on how to avoid common online pitfalls. Throughout The Secret to Cybersecurity, he comes back to two main concepts: strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication. One common problem is that people re-use passwords across multiple accounts. So, if your website is compromised, that hacker may gain access to your email and other accounts, if the same password was used. Creating and keeping track of multiple passwords is difficult, so Augenbaum presents recommendations on how to structure your passwords and where to store them. (Hint: It is not in a file in your Google drive.) Coupling strong passwords with two-factor authentication is an excellent way to protect your accounts. Two-factor authentication requires that you have your cell phone present to log into your email or other online accounts. When you try and sign into your email account, a pop-up appears on your phone that you must acknowledge to access your email. That way, if your password is compromised, the hacker cannot use the account unless they have also stolen your cell phone. What Augenbaum does not do is give advice on configuring hardware to be more secure. For example, he does not tell you how to set up your wireless router to use stronger security.
Throughout The Secret to Cybersecurity, you will be presented with multiple scenarios that you can identify with and will terrify you. Almost every scenario listed could have been prevented if a strong password with two-factor authentication had been used, along with a good sense of what to click or not click on in the Internet. Will reading this book completely protect you from online attacks? Probably not. It should prepare you by strengthening your Internet knowledge and boosting your own online security procedures. This book is a resource that most people should read for their own safety and that of others.
January 2, 2022
The trick to answering online security questions is coming up with answers that are easy to remember, yet difficult for the bad guys to guess.
Don't open attachments on emails that you are unsure of their origin. Be aware of the time that they were sent as well as the other recipients of the email.
Urgent emails from your finical institutions should not be opened but followed with a telephone call from your sources not the telephone number sent in the email.
Do not use Onedrive, Dropbox, Google drive or iCloud.
Never log on to financial or email accounts using public wi fi
Keep your mobile phone updated for the latest security software.
Use a different password for every website. Do not recycle passwords. Passwords should be at least 12 characters long, not using words found in the dictionary or linked to any personal information.
When replying to a suspicious email press forward instead of reply.
Secure your backups with an external hard drive.
Equip your computer with up to date antivirus software and firewalls to block unwanted access.
Don't open attachments on emails that you are unsure of their origin. Be aware of the time that they were sent as well as the other recipients of the email.
Urgent emails from your finical institutions should not be opened but followed with a telephone call from your sources not the telephone number sent in the email.
Do not use Onedrive, Dropbox, Google drive or iCloud.
Never log on to financial or email accounts using public wi fi
Keep your mobile phone updated for the latest security software.
Use a different password for every website. Do not recycle passwords. Passwords should be at least 12 characters long, not using words found in the dictionary or linked to any personal information.
When replying to a suspicious email press forward instead of reply.
Secure your backups with an external hard drive.
Equip your computer with up to date antivirus software and firewalls to block unwanted access.
July 16, 2021
Informative, Practical, & Relatable
I’ve been looking for new content that can help educators better understand their role in cybersecurity. I love the reference in creating a “human firewall”. Everyone has a part to play. The tips in this book are very relatable and practical to anyone (beyond just the tech folk). Very grateful to have this book as a resource.
I’ve been looking for new content that can help educators better understand their role in cybersecurity. I love the reference in creating a “human firewall”. Everyone has a part to play. The tips in this book are very relatable and practical to anyone (beyond just the tech folk). Very grateful to have this book as a resource.
April 21, 2024
Great Information!
This book has great information for everyone to help keep them safe from cyber criminals. Hearing the stories that the author experienced during his career let's the reader know just how serious cybercrime is and how important it is to educate and protect ourselves.
This book has great information for everyone to help keep them safe from cyber criminals. Hearing the stories that the author experienced during his career let's the reader know just how serious cybercrime is and how important it is to educate and protect ourselves.
November 23, 2019
A clear and compelling summary of how to protect yourself in the online world from the exploiters and scammers out there!
The author was a FBI agent and good examples from actual cases add power to his arguments. First step: change your passwords now!
The author was a FBI agent and good examples from actual cases add power to his arguments. First step: change your passwords now!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews