How much backup is enough? If your computer is on a network, who can read your files? How long would it take to get your computer up and running again after a flood or lightning strikes? Security expert Michael Alexander (who has himself lost enough data to fill a small black hole) takes you step by step through the basics of practical computer security for everyone, whether you're on a LAN in an office, dialing up from your portable, or running your own small business on one machine. In The Underground Guide to Computer Security you'll learn how to evaluate the many hardware and software options available to protect your computer and your data. You'll get expert advice on how to choose the best antivirus software, backup system, power protection gear, diagnostic utilities, and encryption programs. Create hacker-proof passwords. Keep your information safe - and private! - in a networked world. Get practical strategies to protect yourself from coworkers using the company LAN to snoop through your files as well as from professional information thieves on dial-up services and the Internet. Develop simple back-up and disaster recovery plans that offer the right amount of information security for your needs. And much more! Every page has something you can use immediately. This book is packed wall to wall with hands-on advice, warnings, tips, virus alerts, workarounds, and the kind of nitty-gritty explanations that could only come from someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes computer security.

We live in a wired society, with computers containing and passing around vital information on both personal and public matters. Keeping this data safe is of paramount concern to all. Yet, not a day seems able to pass without some new threat to our computers. Unfortunately, the march of technology has given us the benefits of computers and electronic tools, while also opening us to unforeseen dangers. Identity theft, electronic spying, and the like are now standard worries. In the effort to defend both personal privacy and crucial databases, computer security has become a key industry. A vast array of companies devoted to defending computers from hackers and viruses have cropped up. Research and academic institutions devote a considerable amount of time and effort to the study of information systems and computer security. Anyone with access to a computer needs to be aware of the developing trends and growth of computer security. To that end, this book presents a comprehensive and carefully selected bibliography of the literature most relevant to understanding computer security. Following the bibliography section, continued access is provided via author, title, and subject indexes. With such a format, this book serves as an important guide and reference tool in the defence of our computerised culture.

PC Magazine contributing editor Alfred Poor guides readers through preventive maintenance, diagnosing the most common hardware problems and the most common upgrades and repairs users will want to perform on their systems. Topics include installing multimedia components, adding more RAM, upgrading the processor, and getting your hardware ready for Windows 95.

Packed with practical tips for getting the best output from any color printer, this power user's guide sizzles with "insider" information, presented in a witty and engaging style that's accessible to any computer user. Includes advice on taking the best advantage of color and the inside scoop on how paper, drivers, programs, and settings on the printer itself can affect the final product.

With a sense of humor and in plain English, Finnie shows power users how to get up and running fast and effectively, how to take advantage of fancy new gadgets like the online communications tools and file management capabilities, how to make applications and devices work together under Windows 95--and make them like it--how to solve most common problems, and more.

This book is a collection of essays and research papers on a wide variety of subjects, including philosophy, computers, drama, poetry, literature, history, art, music, theology, networking, mathematics, business economics, transmission media and databases.