Cybersecurity for Normal People — book cover
The Book

Cybersecurity for Normal People

Protect Your Accounts, Money, and Family — in Plain English

Most security advice is written for IT people or designed to scare you. This book is different. It skips the jargon and walks you through the handful of habits that stop almost every real-world attack — explained the way you’d explain them to a friend.

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Available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle.

What you’ll learn

Why ordinary people get targeted — and the small set of habits that stops most attacks.
How to set up a password manager and two-factor authentication without the headache.
How to spot phishing, scam texts, and fake support calls before they cost you.
How to lock down your phone, your money, and your family’s accounts.
What a VPN actually does — and when you really need one.
Exactly what to do first if you think you’ve been hacked or scammed.
Free companion

Free companion resources for every chapter

The book stays evergreen; the specifics live here and stay current. Pick a chapter for the exact tools, walkthroughs, and up-to-date recommendations for what you just read — free, whether or not you own the book.

Chapter 1

You Are the Target

Why ordinary people get attacked, and why a handful of habits stops almost all of it.

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Chapter 2

The Three Habits That Stop Most Attacks

The short list that carries most of the protection: a manager, a second factor, and updates.

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Chapter 3

Passwords and a Password Manager

Current password-manager recommendations, plus tools to build and test strong passwords.

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Chapter 4

Multi-Factor Authentication and Passkeys

Turning on a second layer, and moving toward passkeys, with click-by-click walkthroughs.

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Chapter 5

Keeping Your Devices Updated and Locked

The quiet, boring habits that prevent a large share of real-world compromises.

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Chapter 6

Your Weekend Security Setup

The one-time push that locks in the essentials. Work the checklist and check your score.

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Chapter 7

How Phishing Really Works

Sharpen your instincts, then check anything that looks off before you click.

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Chapter 8

Spotting Scam Emails, Texts, and Calls

Paste a suspicious message and get a plain-English read on whether it’s a scam.

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Chapter 9

AI Scams — Cloned Voices and Fake Video

The new technology, the same old skeleton. Recognize it, and check before you act.

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Chapter 10

Safe Browsing and Downloads

Check links before you open them, and verify a download is what it claims to be.

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Chapter 11

Shopping and Paying Online Safely

Spot fake stores, pick safe payment methods, and know what to do if you’re burned.

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Chapter 12

Securing Your Home Network

Lock down your router and Wi-Fi, and share your network the safe way.

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Chapter 13

Public Wi-Fi and the Truth About VPNs

When a VPN actually helps, when it doesn’t, and which ones are worth it.

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Chapter 14

Backups — Your Safety Net Against Ransomware

Build a backup plan you’ll actually keep, and confirm it really restores.

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Chapter 15

Privacy — Shrinking What You Share

Cut down what’s out there about you, and see where your data has already leaked.

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Chapter 16

Private Messaging and Encryption, Explained

What end-to-end encryption really means, and how to message privately.

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Chapter 17

Kids and Screens, by Age

Age-by-age guidance for keeping young kids safe online without the fear.

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Chapter 18

Teens, Gaming, and Social Media

Navigating the messy independence of teenagers, gaming, and social platforms.

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Chapter 19

Helping Aging Parents Stay Safe

Practical, respectful ways to protect the most-targeted group of all.

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Chapter 20

If You Get Hacked: A Calm Response Plan

A calm, ordered response for the moment something goes wrong.

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Chapter 21

When a Company You Use Gets Breached

Check your exposure, change what was reused, and ride out the phishing wave.

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Chapter 22

Identity Theft and Financial Fraud

Prevent, detect, and recover — in the right order, without the panic.

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Chapter 23

Digital Estate Planning

Make sure the people you love aren’t locked out of your digital life.

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Chapter 24

Building Habits That Last

Make protection automatic, and bring your whole household along.

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Chapter 25

Your Annual Security Checkup

The short yearly ritual that keeps everything from quietly decaying.

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About the author

John Rouda is a cybersecurity professional, the founder of asecuritygeek.com, and the host of A Geek Leader Podcast. He’s spent years translating security from IT-speak into plain English for normal people — the same voice you’ll find throughout this book.

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