Here's Gabe Goldberg's Review:

I've long advocated "safe computing" to anyone who'll hear my advice. I use and update modern anti-spyware and anti-virus software, keep my Windows system and applications appropriately patched, and use Firefox  and Thunderbird instead of the riskier Internet Explorer and Outlook (or Outlook Express). I don't respond to spam or phishing attacks, I filter spam, and I'm cautious about opening attachments. I connected a network address translating router (most consumer routers do this) between my cable modem and my home network, and my wireless access point is secured. I look both ways before crossing and I check my car's tire pressure regularly. (If any of these terms are new to you, it's time for research.  Remember that Google, Wikipedia, and Sandy Berger's Techionary are your friends -- simply feed them a search term and feast on what they return.) I thought that safe computing immunized me to hazards of modern life such as identity theft. I was wrong. The short version of this is that about a year ago, an alarming phone call alerted me to a bogus $15,500 charge on my credit card. After a few worrisome days and tedious paperwork, I'd straightened it out and placed fraud alerts at the three major credit reporting bureaus. While I never learned how my information was compromised, this incident reminded me that nobody is completely safe and that we all must proactively protect ourselves in a variety of ways.

J.A. Hitchcock's book, "Net Crimes & Misdemeanors", is an encyclopedia of bad things that can happen online. Subtitled "Out-maneuvering Web spammers, stalkers, and con artists", it's chock-full of gripping first-person stories. Anecdotes and vignettes illustrate common mistakes and sympathetically describe bad things happening to good (and innocent) people. But most valuable throughout the book are tips for staying safe, and credible resources for recovering from problems.

Hitchcock knows this territory all too well. Chapter 1, "Cyberstalking Happened to Me", describes how an innocent online 1996 interaction led to a prolonged nightmare of online harassment. The full multi-year battle is described at http://jahitchcock.com/cyberstalked. Quick wits, perseverance, and the help of many friends ultimately prevailed in court against the bad guys.

There's much to like about this book; you're motivated to follow its non-preachy real-world advice by illustrations of what can happen when you're careless and inattentive. It's equally good for reference on
specific worries or problems and as a full read to survey current threats. Realistic issues aren't presented as hypothetical threats; they're given context of real people's lives. Warnings and suggestions are often in the form of checklists and specific steps to take.

The book ends by reviewing good online/offline practices:

• As much as possible in our privacy-shattering times, hide your
  identity and protect personal information.
  
  

• Use multiple email addresses. At a minimum, use one for
  personal/private email and another for anything that will be
  visible. It's even better to use extra addresses for purposes
  such as list subscriptions, Web registrations, and online
  discussions.
  
  

• If attacked online, don't react or defend yourself. That's often
  the reaction aggressors seek, and they may simply be more provoked
  by whatever you say, no matter how calm and truthful you are.
  
  

• Before chiming in to an online discussion, read it for a while.
  Called lurking, this reveals how the community operates and
  avoids social missteps.
  
  

• Watch your language. It's easy to be misunderstood (Remember
  Saturday Night's Emily Litella of "Never mind" fame?).
  
  

• Use credit cards only at Web sites you trust. Perhaps have an
  "online-only" credit card, or use one-time credit card numbers,
  if your issuer supports them; always verify charges on credit
  card bills.
  
  

• Request free annual credit reports and check their accuracy.
  
  

• Be aware of children's online activities.
  
  

• Ego surf regularly -- that is, search for yourself online and
  to watch for trouble.
  
  

• Remember that creating profiles on Web sites (providing
  information, whether simple email address or other data) can be
  both good and bad news, providing access and services but
  risking compromising your information.
  
  

• Set preferences to maximum security and privacy for applications
  such as instant messaging.

The book isn't perfect. It takes one-sided views of issues such as trade offs between privacy/anonymity and protection from perceived abuse (gratuitously slamming civil liberties organizations in the process), and balancing responsibility for customer safety between ISPs and anti-virus software vendors. Terms and people aren't always defined and sometimes appear out of context. It's occasionally an overly alarmist, citing hazards that can be avoided by practicing safe computing. It needed better editing to avoid mistakes such as saying, "Data from these three organizations..." when two organizations are listed.

But it does well introducing and touring many complex issues. So don't miss its ultimate point: Safe computing is a mindset, not something to be done once and forgotten. As online facilities evolve, new hazards arise needing new precautions. Constant vigilance is the eternal price of online safety.

Publisher: CyberAge Books
ISBN: 0-910965-72-2
Price: $24.95
Date of Review:: 3/15/2007