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

by Sam Grubb

Cybersecurity for Beginners 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.You don’t need a technical background to understand core cybersecurity concepts and their practical applications – all you need is this book. It covers all the important stuff and leaves out the jargon, giving you a broad view of how specific attacks work and common methods used by online adversaries, as well as the controls and strategies you can use to defend against them. Each chapter tackles a new topic from the ground up, such as malware or social engineering, with easy-to-grasp explanations of the technology at play and relatable, real-world examples. Hands-on exercises then turn the conceptual knowledge you’ve gained into cyber-savvy skills that will make you safer at work and at home. You’ll explore various types of authentication (and how they can be broken), ways to prevent infections from different types of malware, like worms and viruses, and methods for protecting your cloud accounts from adversaries who target web apps. You’ll also learn how   •  Use command-line tools to see information about your computer and network  •  Analyze email headers to detect phishing attempts  •  Open potentially malicious documents in a sandbox to safely see what they do  •  Set up your operating system accounts, firewalls, and router to protect your network  •  Perform a SQL injection attack by targeting an intentionally vulnerable website  •  Encrypt and hash your files In addition, you’ll get an inside look at the roles and responsibilities of security professionals, see how an attack works from a cybercriminal’s viewpoint, and get first-hand experience implementing sophisticated cybersecurity measures on your own devices.

Genres: Computer Science, Nonfiction, Science, Technology, Reference, Computers, Programming

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2021

Reviews

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a very well written book. I have a Masters in Cybersecurity and IAM is my job, but I was curious about this book because I know a number of people interested yet intimidated by Cybersecurity. I figured I would give it a read to see if it was worth recommending. Absolutely.

Look, if you are already knowledgeable in the field, maybe already have Security+, then this isn't the book for you (It does say that it is a Hands-on Guide for Total Beginners).

If you are someone curious about Cybersecurity and would like it demystified, I would highly recommend giving this a read. It is a great overview of the basic concepts without dragging you down too deep. It is clearly written, has a logical flow, and even has exercises such as configuring a firewall if you want to get your hands a little dirty.

[Michał Pawlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Książka ta jest kompetentym wprowadzeniem do świata cyberbezpieczeństwa. Sam Grubb słusznie pomija wszystkie sprawy czysto techniczne i większe szczegóły zakładając, że czytelnik w razie potrzeby sam doszuka się informacji (polecam "PowerCert Animated Videos" oraz "NetworkChuck"). Dużym plusem są tutaj również ćwiczenia zakańczające każdy rozdział, proste lecz dobrze podsumowujące zdobytą wiedzę.

[Giovanni Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Cybersecurity Works: A Hands-On Guide for Total Beginners is an excellent book for beginners because it takes the mystery out of doing cyber security right.

I read this book cover to cover, and I have to say there were many valuable lessons taught here that are easy to understand no matter what your expertise is.

This book does not go into technical language. Instead, you will learn valuable lessons regarding Cyber Security best practices that will serve you well over the years if you follow them. The author takes you to step by step through very complex concepts, so they apply even to the most novice users. This is why I would recommend this book as a valuable tool for Cyber Security trainees champions alike.

On specific lesson that caught my attention was the section about Cyber Defense in Depth, which is not something I hear covered too often.

I know Cyber Security experts that only focus on one aspect of Cybersecurity (i.e., VPN firewall). They are equally effective at keeping their networks secure, so it makes total sense to me when Lawson says. "The best security strategy involves multiple lines of defense." But she doesn't stop there when considering defenses; instead, Lawson goes on to state: "Even if you do everything 'right', chances are you will be compromised by malware or hackers eventually." That's right, even with CyberSecurity in place, there is no guarantee that your business won't be hacked or infected because Cybercriminals are constantly adapting their tactics to find new vulnerabilities.

So would I recommend this book to a friend? Yes!

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cybersecurity is an essential component of our daily lives. With people constantly falling for phishing scams and other malicious attacks, it is clear that we must brush up on our basic skills. Sam Grubb wrote the book in 2021, so it is still relevant.

Grubb describes how to spot malicious attacks and how to prevent them from occurring. The author intended the book for the total beginner, and it shows. The weakest link in the security chain is often the end user. To mitigate this risk, the author describes typical methods Black Hats utilize.

Although it discusses the security protocols for Windows 10 and macOS, it doesn't address Linux's security concerns. I didn't expect it to, though. Most Linux users are capable of running their systems. If you are not skilled at Linux, the book recommends another book by the same publisher focusing on Linux for Hackers.

When the book mentioned that it was intended for the beginner, I didn't expect to gain anything from reading it. I was wrong. The book was well-written and informative.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Ethan Waht · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been an excellent introduction to cybersecurity, and I've already gained a significant amount of knowledge from it, especially after completing my first semester in the field. The clarity and depth of the content make it accessible to both beginners and professionals. Regardless of your profession, I highly recommend this book. It's incredibly informative and provides valuable insights on how anyone can enhance their online security, making it a must read for anyone looking to stay safe in the digital world.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read, contributing to my journey towards cybersecurity.

I particularly got a lot out of this, and enjoyed the many key / important topics.

Would recommend for those interested in cyber defence.

4.6/5

[Pumpkin Spice Retrograde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good introductory book. It does assume you know how to use a computer, which is a skill falling out of style with Gen A. So it's not technically for tota beginners. This would be good for someone who is thinking about entering the Cybersecurity field before they enroll in formal training.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relatively basic introduction to the cybersecurity vocabulary. The references to tools and sources of information were useful. The introduction to risk assessments was thin, but good.

[A.B. Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice beginner guide.

[David Dillard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this a year ago - not useful if you already have a Security+ cert, cool getting started guide. Two year olds are obsessed with the cover art, for some reason.

[Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good intro book for those not familiar with cybersecurity fundamentals. Could be a stepping stone to further learning or used more broadly in personal life.

[Wontae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and clear introduction, but little shallow

The book has good coverage in terms of breadth, and it explains things in a clear way.

Having said that, the coverage is a little shallow (i.e., it is not a book to train a reader as an expert). That itself is not a problem, but I wish the book had provided "further reading/advanced topic" subsection at the end in each section.

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How Cybersecurity Really Works" is a fairly comprehensive introduction to the field that is appropriate for absolute beginners or individuals who require a knowledge of security principles but do not intend to work in the field. The coverage of topics is actually quite good although it would have been nice to have at least a nod to forensics and privacy. Additionally the book is light and a little bit dated in its coverage of GRC topics.

The real weakness of this book is the depth at which it covers the material and the fairly lackluster exercise sections. This may come as a surprise to many readers of No Starch Press technical books since the company is known for producing deeply technical instructional manuals that contain complex and demanding projects and exercises. Additionally, the book's impact is lessened by the fact that it only covers Windows 10 and MacOS. Windows 11 and Linux are completely left out, which is really unfortunate and will guarantee that many potential readers of this book will have no use for it. In any case, this book is more of a high level survey and there simply is not enough detailed material provided for it to be a thoroughly useful work for an actual security practitioner.

[Don't Stop Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended for a complete beginner with no prior experience or who finds the subject intimidating. A great book to build a foundation on to either springboard you to more technical/in-depth writings, or feel secure on what to do to protect yourself as an everyday person.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good review of cybersecurity

I enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot. I recommend it as an introductory book on cybersecurity. It informs but not over sums with jargon