This book is an introduction to cyber security and privacy for nontechnical readers. Increasingly, the media has shown us examples of highly connected individuals who have focused more on the features of the application than the possible risks of using them. The goal of this book is to help readers understand some of the possible risks of using the many devices we own in today’s highly interconnected digital society. Each chapter begins with a short vignette describing a scenario the reader might encounter in their day-to-day experience, and then uses that scenario to discuss key concepts, threats, possible responses, and finally a short bibliography of additional readings.

The topics span from fairly basic risks--phishing, password security, and physical security of devices--to more complex threats, including cloud environments, wireless security, social engineering, and nation-state surveillance. These issues, from the basic to the complex, are discussed in an informal, nontechnical, and approachable conversational style. While the authors put many of the security risks popularized in the media in context, most of their recommendations are best described as common-sense solutions--for example, passwords are an important tool to protect your information, so here are some ideas for making good passwords that are hard to guess.

Targeted at readers who are unfamiliar with security topics, the informal tone and conversational discussions will likely be accessible and eye-opening. And, while much of the information can easily be found online, it’s equally likely these readers have never known where to look, and will enjoy this “Top 10” coverage of the material.

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