The sophisticated methods used in recent high-profile cyber incidents have driven many to need to understand how such security issues work. Demystifying the complexity often associated with information assurance Cyber Security Essentials provides a clear understanding of the concepts behind prevalent threats tactics and procedures. To accomplish this the team of security professionals from VeriSign s iDefense(R) Security Intelligence Services supply an extensive review of the computer security landscape. Although the text is accessible to those new to cyber security its comprehensive nature makes it ideal for experts who need to explain how computer security works to non-technical staff. Providing a fundamental understanding of the theory behind the key issues impacting cyber security the book: Covers attacker methods and motivations exploitation trends malicious code techniques and the latest threat vectors Addresses more than 75 key security concepts in a series of concise well-illustrated summaries designed for most levels of technical understanding Supplies actionable advice for the mitigation of threats Breaks down the code used to write exploits into understandable diagrams This book is not about the latest attack trends or botnets. It s about the reasons why these problems continue to plague us. By better understanding the logic presented in these pages readers will be prepared to transition to a career in the growing field of cyber security and enable proactive responses to the threats and attacks on the horizon.