Book Review: Online Danger

Reviewer: Ben Rothke, CISSP

1 October 2018

Print Issue: October 2018

Online Danger: How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From the Evil Side of the Internet. By Dr. Eric Cole. Morgan James Publishing; morgan-james-publishing.com; 182 pages; $17.95.

When this reviewer wrote Computer Security: 20 Things Every Employee Should Know 13 years ago, it was two years before the iPhone was released. A lot has changed since then in the world of information security. The threats and risks have increased exponentially, and that trend is sure to continue.

Cyberspace has many benefits; but with each benefit comes associated risks. If you are not careful, in a few clicks, you can reveal your entire medical history, lose your life savings, and more. In Online Danger: How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From the Evil Side of the Internet, Dr. Eric Cole has written a modern guide to help everyone use the Internet without being a victim of cyber miscreants.

There are number of similar books on the topic of end-user safety. What makes this book different, is that Cole lets you in on a huge insider tip: If your cyber safety is compromised, there is an easy way to find the culprit—just look in the mirror. While some may see this as overly tough cybersecurity love, Cole is correct that far too many users expect others to do their information security for them, or simply use systems and apps without understanding how to do it safely.

The book is beneficial to everyone from corporate employees to parents who want to know what their children are doing. Cole is an instructor with the SANS Institute and teaches weeklong classes on computer security. But what he has done here is condense a lot of that wisdom for basic end-user training into a very readable and interesting 150-page book.

Countless scammers and criminals are looking to make you, your children, and your friends their next victim. For people who wish to defend against them, this is a handy book to have in the arsenal.

Reviewer: Ben Rothke, CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), PCI QSA (Qualified Security Assessor), is a principal eGRC consultant with the Nettitude Group.