Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons (5th ed)

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Book Updates & Resources

See the Books Updates page for a full list of book links, updates, errata and other important resources.

Reviews for 5th Edition

I’ve received several glowing reviews from top industry experts (see below)! If you have an audience and would like to post a formal review, I can provide you a free PDF copy – just fill out this form.

Andy Yen, Founder/CEO of Proton

“Carey knocks it out of the ballpark with this essential guide. Technology moves fast, and security even faster, so timely updates make this not only a must-read, but also an up to date resource. Security and privacy touches each and every one of us, and Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons succeeds in making an intractable topic approachable for everyone.”

Sean O’Brien, Founder of Yale Privacy Lab, Lecturer at Yale Law School

“Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons is a well informed and accessible guide to better privacy and security. Carey documents solutions without glossing over the details, building upon his years of experience in the field of cybersecurity. If I had this guide when I began my journey in privacy tech, it wouldn’t have just saved me a lot of time – it would have transformed my digital life. Readers are given tons of helpful recommendations alongside cogent and comprehensive explanations and, most importantly, are spoken to like real humans with busy lives. This isn’t a fast food menu for techies, it’s a hearty and rewarding meal for geeks and non-geeks alike. I always say there’s no quick road to free yourself from surveillance. But this book will lead the way and make you much safer as you navigate the minefield laid down by malicious actors.”

Doug Levin, Director, K12 Security Information Exchange

“If you are the informal tech support provider for family and friends, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons is a real lifesaver. Carey covers the basics of privacy and security across platforms in remarkably entertaining fashion. I’m gifting this book to those in my life and I’d recommend you do the same!”

Andrea Amico, Founder & CEO, Privacy4Cars

“Carey has an uncanny ability to make privacy and security knowledge accessible and engaging. If you are new to the topic you’ll appreciate the pragmatic no-nonsense advice. More advanced practitioners will appreciate the insights Carey distills in the pages from his constant access to leading experts. If you are a “Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons” podcast fan like I am, you’ll love this book.”

Raphael Fiedler, CEO Safing

“In this book Carey managed to both engage me as a techy as well as pack in all the information necessary to allow anyone to follow the tips and guides in the book. Everyone can learn a new trick to improve on personal security or learn a better way to teach it.”

Other Reviews

Some of these are older, but still speak to the overall style and readability of the book.

Also check out the shout out from one of my favorite podcasts, Security Now! This link should take you right to the 1:06:33 mark. (This was for the first edition of the book, so the cover will look different.)

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