Internet and Web Application Security, 3rd Edition

The Threats and Risks on the Internet

The internet is an insecure and unregulated environment. Those who connect to the internet without taking steps to secure their connection and who lack a fundamental understanding of common internet risks expose themselves to danger. This danger can take the form of viruses, data theft, identity theft, cyberbullying, phishing, or other attacks.

Many users ignore security, believing that their computers hold no interesting information and therefore are not targets. This is untrue. Unguarded systems can be turned into zombie computers and, under the control of remote users, can be used to stage attacks against other systems or as repositories for offensive content. There is no way to avoid it; today’s internet ...