Want a good basic book on computers/computer security

Recent help I have got from this excellent forum has made me realise I need
to learn more. I'm extremely ignorant. I often have questions to ask
(often, often, often) that I am too embarrassed to post, because they are so
stupid (even more stupid than the ones I do post.)

I wondered if anyone could recommend a book for beginners, or even a
beginners forum which would give me a bit more understanding. I use
Firefox with a few Greasemonkey scripts, Photoshop to a reasonable level,
itunes - so I'm not totally on the bottom rung, but tons and tons of stuff,
especially re. security, is just beyond me. It is made much more difficult
because it is so scary to deal with. You feel if you make one mistake
everything will go pop.

Any good books or beginner forums please?

Malke
Thu Aug 31 07:14:48 CDT 2006

Canna W wrote:

> Recent help I have got from this excellent forum has made me realise I
> need
> to learn more. I'm extremely ignorant. I often have questions to
> ask (often, often, often) that I am too embarrassed to post, because
> they are so stupid (even more stupid than the ones I do post.)
>
> I wondered if anyone could recommend a book for beginners, or even a
> beginners forum which would give me a bit more understanding. I use
> Firefox with a few Greasemonkey scripts, Photoshop to a reasonable
> level, itunes - so I'm not totally on the bottom rung, but tons and
> tons of stuff,
> especially re. security, is just beyond me. It is made much more
> difficult
> because it is so scary to deal with. You feel if you make one mistake
> everything will go pop.
>
> Any good books or beginner forums please?

First of all, you should not be embarrassed to ask questions here. All
the regulars (like me!) who answer questions try to make the MS
newsgroups a good place for newbies.

For books, the best thing to do is go to your local Big Bookstore and
spend some time browsing in the computer books section. Look at various
beginner books and see which ones appeal to you. You know what works
best for you.

For forums (of which this is not one - it is a newsgroup and I'll
explain that below) my first choice for you is Computer Haven. It is a
forum owned by MVP Patty MacDuffie, and I can't recommend it highly
enough. Patty has created a friendly, caring place to learn. Do try it.
http://computerhaven.info/

I've also created a small section on my website about how to get tech
support and some of the other sections may also be helpful to you:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Getting_Tech_Support

Also take a look at the links and see if you like any of them:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page4.html#Links

That's a good trick to finding new useful sites - at any website you
like, see if they've got links. Chances are that if you like a website,
the websites the webpage owner likes will also be of interest to you.

Now for the information about using the MS newsgroups:

Since you are using the web interface, you may not realize that this is
really a newsgroup. You will get far more out of this resource if you
learn to use a newsreader. There are many good newsreaders for Windows,
but you can use Outlook Express since you already have it. Here are
some links to information about newsgroups:

About Usenet:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet
http://groups.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=basics.html - Basics
of Usenet
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet - a brief
explanation of newsgroups

Using Outlook Express as Newsreader:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
http://rickrogers.org/setupoe.htm

Accessing the MS newsgroups in Outlook Express Newsreader
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx

How to Post:
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
http://aumha.org/nntp.htm - list of MS newsgroups
microsoft.public.test.here - MS group to test if your newsreader is
working properly
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm - how to munge email address
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm - multiposting vs.
crossposting

I hope this has helped. If you have more questions, please don't
hesitate to ask them. We're here to help you. :-)

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

CannaW
Thu Aug 31 08:35:02 CDT 2006


Malke,

That is just amazing....thank you so much.

I will definitely be back with lots of questions, as I find these newgroups
;-) invaluable.

I will also check out books as you suggest - yes - we do learn differently,
and I will check out the forums you recommend, and look for links, and check
out newgroups.....

Thank you for taking the time to respond so thoroughly. It was incredibly
helpful.

Caroline



> > Any good books or beginner forums please?


> First of all, you should not be embarrassed to ask questions here. All
> the regulars (like me!) who answer questions try to make the MS
> newsgroups a good place for newbies.
>
> For books, the best thing to do is go to your local Big Bookstore and
> spend some time browsing in the computer books section. Look at various
> beginner books and see which ones appeal to you. You know what works
> best for you.
>
> For forums (of which this is not one - it is a newsgroup and I'll
> explain that below) my first choice for you is Computer Haven. It is a
> forum owned by MVP Patty MacDuffie, and I can't recommend it highly
> enough. Patty has created a friendly, caring place to learn. Do try it.
> http://computerhaven.info/
>
> I've also created a small section on my website about how to get tech
> support and some of the other sections may also be helpful to you:
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Getting_Tech_Support
>
> Also take a look at the links and see if you like any of them:
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page4.html#Links
>
> That's a good trick to finding new useful sites - at any website you
> like, see if they've got links. Chances are that if you like a website,
> the websites the webpage owner likes will also be of interest to you.
>
> Now for the information about using the MS newsgroups:
>
> Since you are using the web interface, you may not realize that this is
> really a newsgroup. You will get far more out of this resource if you
> learn to use a newsreader. There are many good newsreaders for Windows,
> but you can use Outlook Express since you already have it. Here are
> some links to information about newsgroups:
>
> About Usenet:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet
> http://groups.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=basics.html - Basics
> of Usenet
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet - a brief
> explanation of newsgroups
>
> Using Outlook Express as Newsreader:
> http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
> http://rickrogers.org/setupoe.htm
>
> Accessing the MS newsgroups in Outlook Express Newsreader
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx
>
> How to Post:
> http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
> http://aumha.org/nntp.htm - list of MS newsgroups
> microsoft.public.test.here - MS group to test if your newsreader is
> working properly
> http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm - how to munge email address
> http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm - multiposting vs.
> crossposting
>
> I hope this has helped. If you have more questions, please don't
> hesitate to ask them. We're here to help you. :-)
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>

Steven
Thu Aug 31 12:19:51 CDT 2006

Malke gave you some great advice. I just wanted to add that Microsoft has
some great resources for users at the links below.

Steve

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/default.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxpsp2/Default.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/default.mspx --- more advanced
topics

"Canna W" <CannaW@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FFD2E7EA-9C6B-490D-B68D-D57AB7C94D4F@microsoft.com...
> Recent help I have got from this excellent forum has made me realise I
> need
> to learn more. I'm extremely ignorant. I often have questions to ask
> (often, often, often) that I am too embarrassed to post, because they are
> so
> stupid (even more stupid than the ones I do post.)
>
> I wondered if anyone could recommend a book for beginners, or even a
> beginners forum which would give me a bit more understanding. I use
> Firefox with a few Greasemonkey scripts, Photoshop to a reasonable level,
> itunes - so I'm not totally on the bottom rung, but tons and tons of
> stuff,
> especially re. security, is just beyond me. It is made much more
> difficult
> because it is so scary to deal with. You feel if you make one mistake
> everything will go pop.
>
> Any good books or beginner forums please?
>

QuidnuncSimcha
Thu Aug 31 21:31:02 CDT 2006

Hello,

In addition to the other great advice, you can also find books like "Hacking
Exposed". A word of warning, reading these books and getting into security
can cause one to become......highly vigilent.... :) Some would say paranoid.

When searching for information, be careful about the source. There are
websites with text scripts that will download rootkits when opening a ".txt"
file.



"Canna W" wrote:

> Recent help I have got from this excellent forum has made me realise I need
> to learn more. I'm extremely ignorant. I often have questions to ask
> (often, often, often) that I am too embarrassed to post, because they are so
> stupid (even more stupid than the ones I do post.)
>
> I wondered if anyone could recommend a book for beginners, or even a
> beginners forum which would give me a bit more understanding. I use
> Firefox with a few Greasemonkey scripts, Photoshop to a reasonable level,
> itunes - so I'm not totally on the bottom rung, but tons and tons of stuff,
> especially re. security, is just beyond me. It is made much more difficult
> because it is so scary to deal with. You feel if you make one mistake
> everything will go pop.
>
> Any good books or beginner forums please?
>

QuidnuncSimcha
Thu Aug 31 21:38:01 CDT 2006

Canna,

I hope Malke doesn't mind me adding something to his informative post:

One place that many users don't go is the start--->help and support

If you are connected to the internet, a serach in OS help and support will
turn up MS knowledge based articles, online info, and etc. This is a pretty
nice filter and allows one to quickly decide which meets their level.

The OS help and support will also provide best practices and checklist that
may be valuble.

"Malke" wrote:

> Canna W wrote:
>
> > Recent help I have got from this excellent forum has made me realise I
> > need
> > to learn more. I'm extremely ignorant. I often have questions to
> > ask (often, often, often) that I am too embarrassed to post, because
> > they are so stupid (even more stupid than the ones I do post.)
> >
> > I wondered if anyone could recommend a book for beginners, or even a
> > beginners forum which would give me a bit more understanding. I use
> > Firefox with a few Greasemonkey scripts, Photoshop to a reasonable
> > level, itunes - so I'm not totally on the bottom rung, but tons and
> > tons of stuff,
> > especially re. security, is just beyond me. It is made much more
> > difficult
> > because it is so scary to deal with. You feel if you make one mistake
> > everything will go pop.
> >
> > Any good books or beginner forums please?
>
> First of all, you should not be embarrassed to ask questions here. All
> the regulars (like me!) who answer questions try to make the MS
> newsgroups a good place for newbies.
>
> For books, the best thing to do is go to your local Big Bookstore and
> spend some time browsing in the computer books section. Look at various
> beginner books and see which ones appeal to you. You know what works
> best for you.
>
> For forums (of which this is not one - it is a newsgroup and I'll
> explain that below) my first choice for you is Computer Haven. It is a
> forum owned by MVP Patty MacDuffie, and I can't recommend it highly
> enough. Patty has created a friendly, caring place to learn. Do try it.
> http://computerhaven.info/
>
> I've also created a small section on my website about how to get tech
> support and some of the other sections may also be helpful to you:
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Getting_Tech_Support
>
> Also take a look at the links and see if you like any of them:
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page4.html#Links
>
> That's a good trick to finding new useful sites - at any website you
> like, see if they've got links. Chances are that if you like a website,
> the websites the webpage owner likes will also be of interest to you.
>
> Now for the information about using the MS newsgroups:
>
> Since you are using the web interface, you may not realize that this is
> really a newsgroup. You will get far more out of this resource if you
> learn to use a newsreader. There are many good newsreaders for Windows,
> but you can use Outlook Express since you already have it. Here are
> some links to information about newsgroups:
>
> About Usenet:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet
> http://groups.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=basics.html - Basics
> of Usenet
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet - a brief
> explanation of newsgroups
>
> Using Outlook Express as Newsreader:
> http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
> http://rickrogers.org/setupoe.htm
>
> Accessing the MS newsgroups in Outlook Express Newsreader
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroupsetup.mspx
>
> How to Post:
> http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
> http://aumha.org/nntp.htm - list of MS newsgroups
> microsoft.public.test.here - MS group to test if your newsreader is
> working properly
> http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm - how to munge email address
> http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm - multiposting vs.
> crossposting
>
> I hope this has helped. If you have more questions, please don't
> hesitate to ask them. We're here to help you. :-)
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>

Mark
Thu Aug 31 23:02:26 CDT 2006

"QuidnuncSimcha" <QuidnuncSimcha@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EAA47F83-EB24-4CBC-83F4-2B0A1211D57B@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> In addition to the other great advice, you can also find books like
> "Hacking
> Exposed". A word of warning, reading these books and getting into security
> can cause one to become......highly vigilent.... :) Some would say
> paranoid.

Its not paranoia when they really are out to get you.

--
- Mark Randall
http://www.temporal-solutions.co.uk
http://www.awportals.com

CannaW
Fri Sep 08 03:01:02 CDT 2006

Quidnuncsimcha, Steve and Mark,

Apologies for my rudeness in not getting back on this. I must have left
undone that which I ought to have done, or clicked the wrong button - because
I didn't know there had been any more responses.

Thank you all for the further suggestions. I am going to run them off now.

I am also amongst the (huge) band of people paranoid about computer security
- but it seems a pretty realistic thing to be paranoid about. As has been
mentioned above (which I hadn't thought of before), having just a weeny home
computer I'm not going to be attractive to serious intruders, but anyone who
uses the net with enthusiasm has got to learn how to be careful...

All best wishes, & thanks again,
Caroline

CannaW
Fri Sep 08 03:35:02 CDT 2006

Quidnuncsimcha,

Thank you for the mention of rootkits and txt files.

I looked up 'rootkits' at Wikipedia and, following that, used one of the
links given to a rootkit detector programme here

http://www.rootkitdetector.com/

It has very little info though, plus there are 2 progs offered. They give
a link to a forum for further info, but I think it is in Italian. I
wondered which of the programmes offered at this site I should use? It
sounds very helpful.

Caroline



"Canna W" wrote:

> Quidnuncsimcha, Steve and Mark,
>
> Apologies for my rudeness in not getting back on this. I must have left
> undone that which I ought to have done, or clicked the wrong button - because
> I didn't know there had been any more responses.
>
> Thank you all for the further suggestions. I am going to run them off now.
>
> I am also amongst the (huge) band of people paranoid about computer security
> - but it seems a pretty realistic thing to be paranoid about. As has been
> mentioned above (which I hadn't thought of before), having just a weeny home
> computer I'm not going to be attractive to serious intruders, but anyone who
> uses the net with enthusiasm has got to learn how to be careful...
>
> All best wishes, & thanks again,
> Caroline

CannaW
Fri Sep 08 03:41:02 CDT 2006

An add on to the above.
-----------------------

On second thoughts, looking at the illustration link on the site, it looks a
toy for advanced users. It may be way above my capabilities to use it....

c

QuidnuncSimcha
Sat Sep 09 13:21:01 CDT 2006

Caroline,

Don't feel bad. From what I have read, Rootkit detection and removal is very
difficult. This is why experts, which I am not one, suggest the computer be
wiped if a person believes they have been infected. These developers will
even investigate "security" programs that are designed to protect a specific
part of the computer. One example I have seen was the exploitation of a
program that was designed to protect the physical drive. The author used a
"symbolic link" to circumvent the code. I did not personally test the code to
see if their method worked.

Good luck!





"Canna W" wrote:

> Quidnuncsimcha, Steve and Mark,
>
> Apologies for my rudeness in not getting back on this. I must have left
> undone that which I ought to have done, or clicked the wrong button - because
> I didn't know there had been any more responses.
>
> Thank you all for the further suggestions. I am going to run them off now.
>
> I am also amongst the (huge) band of people paranoid about computer security
> - but it seems a pretty realistic thing to be paranoid about. As has been
> mentioned above (which I hadn't thought of before), having just a weeny home
> computer I'm not going to be attractive to serious intruders, but anyone who
> uses the net with enthusiasm has got to learn how to be careful...
>
> All best wishes, & thanks again,
> Caroline