How Cybersecurity Really Works: A Hands-On Guide for Total Beginners

by Sam Grubb

How Cybersecurity Really Works is an engaging introduction to the field of cybersecurity. You'll learn how attackers operate, as well as how to defend yourself and organizations against online attacks.

How Cybersecurity Really Works is the perfect introduction to cybersecurity. Whether you’re a computer science student or a business professional, it will teach you the basics without all the jargon.

This beginners guide covers different types of attacks, common tactics used by online adversaries, and defensive strategies you can use to protect yourself. You’ll learn what security professionals do, what an attack looks like from a cybercriminal’s viewpoint, and how to implement sophisticated cybersecurity measures on your own devices.

In addition, you’ll find explanations of topics like malware, phishing, and social engineering attacks, coupled with real-world examples and hands-on exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned. You’ll explore ways to bypass access controls, prevent infections from worms and viruses, and protect your cloud accounts from attackers.

You’ll also learn how

• Analyze emails to detect phishing attempts
• Use SQL injection to attack a website
• Examine malware from the safety of a sandbox environment
• Use the command line to evaluate and improve your computer and network security
• Deploy encryption and hashing to protect your files
• Create a comprehensive risk management plan
You can’t afford to ignore cybersecurity anymore, but attackers won’t wait while you read a long technical manual. That’s why How Cybersecurity Really Works teaches you just the essentials you need to think beyond antivirus and make the right decisions to keep the online monsters at bay.

216 pages, Paperback

Published June 16, 2021

Reviews

[Jared Meldrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent book! I learned more from it than I learned in my intro to Cybersecurity class at college. It does a great job of teaching the import little things while helping you understand the Impact and importance of each of them!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've become a fan of many of the works under the No Starch Press publishing label. This is the third book I've read, and the material is well organized, reasonably thorough for a beginner text. What it does really well is provide exercises for the reader to perform to get a feel for the type of security being discussed. I really appreciate the clear, directed exercises.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick introduction. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I knew already, but seeing it all tied together was very useful. This is the first of many books I plan to read on cybersecurity. I don’t think I could have picked a better introduction!

[Jeffrey Ning · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is indeed a hands-on guide for total beginners. Sam Grubb grinds us what is needed for cybersecurity career from technical point of view. Good introduction that makes you hungrier for more.

[مجتبى · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excel-ent