Products

This book describes common threats to your cybersecurity and practical steps you can take to avoid them. Threats explained include weak or reused passwords, malware, viruses, social engineering, outdated software, ransomware, the internet of things (IoT) and risky Internet browsing. Tools and techniques to help enhance your security like multi-factor authentication (MFA), firewalls, backups, virtual private networks (VPN) are also explained.

•Discusses how weak passwords can lead to vulnerabilities and how to create strong ones that are easy to remember.
• Describes social engineering attacks, why you may be vulnerable to them and how to protect yourself.
•Explains how Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) works and how to enable it.
•Presents how to protect your system against a Ransomware attack.

Over 90% of cyber security incidents invoke human action, decisions, or errors. When users are unknowingly manipulated to bypass technical security controls attackers prevail. Traditional cybersecurity resources focus heavily on technical solutions, leaving non-technical vulnerabilities unaddressed. This book fills that void by providing a comprehensive guide for business and IT professionals to develop and improve cybersecurity awareness programs. It goes beyond basic compliance measures and offers practical strategies to create a security-aware culture that actively involves employees in mitigating risks. The book is designed to help organizations transition from outdated, compliance-based programs to dynamic, adaptive frameworks that prioritize human-centered defenses. This resource is the ideal guide for organizations and IT professionals looking to reduce risk, strengthen security posture, and build a more resilient workforce against cyber threats. The content is packed with practical advice and tools to drive meaningful change in organizational behavior and security practices.

This book offers new mathematical models for software project planning methodologies, including approaches like PMI, IEEE-CS, and Scrum. It also presents a unique hybrid model that combines the IEEE-CS approach with the Scrum one. It introduces the importance of software project planning and goes into detail about the initiation and preparation phases. It covers methods for identifying and analyzing software requirements, creating core project plans, and integrating sub-plans. Additionally, it discusses software project planning using PMI, IEEE-CS, Scrum, and the hybrid approach, and provides practical case studies for each model. This structured approach gives readers a comprehensive understanding of software project planning practices, from traditional to agile approaches, and prepares them to effectively plan and manage software projects using various strategies. Based on these models, interested corporations can develop new Software Project Planning Tools to automate their software project planning function.

Spring Boot Microservices is the ultimate handbook for mastering the intricacies of microservices design, implementation, and deployment through the lens of the Spring Boot framework. This guide is tailored to equip readers with practical insights and real-world applications, ensuring they possess the skills to construct robust and scalable microservices architectures. Starting with the fundamentals of Spring Boot and exploring its main modules, readers study essential topics such as microservices architecture, configuration management, database interaction, and security measures. Through practical guidance and hands-on exercises, you will learn to document endpoints effectively, streamline development processes, and implement strategies for efficient application packaging. With its emphasis on real-world case studies and industry insights, this book is an indispensable resource for developers, architects, and IT professionals seeking to leverage microservices architecture effectively in their projects and organizations, empowering them to harness the full potential of Spring Boot for building modern, scalable applications.

Essential knowledge of steel-framed structure design is a cornerstone for architectural, civil, and structural engineers, as well as for students planning careers in structural design and construction. Structural Steel Design, Fourth Edition delivers a comprehensive understanding of structural steel design, starting with the fundamentals and progressing to the design of a complete structural system. It emphasizes not just the individual steel elements or components but their integration within the broader context of the entire structure.

By working through the chapters and corresponding design project tasks, readers will complete the design of a full steel structure, allowing them to grasp the connections between discrete components and the larger system. This approach reinforces the importance of seeing the "big picture" in structural design.

Encouraged by the American Institute for Steel Construction, this book goes beyond traditional textbook exercises by offering real-world examples, project-based exercises, and open-ended problems that challenge the reader to make decisions and navigate the iterative nature of structural design. Practical details and real-world end-of-chapter problems reflect the types of challenges encountered in professional engineering practice, making this text not just an academic resource but a practical guide for aspiring engineers.

Surviving a Cyberattack: Securing Social Media and Protecting Your Home is a roadmap to navigating the internet with confidence.

This comprehensive guide addresses the ever-growing challenges users face in the online world. It explores various online risks, from social media scams and data breaches to online fraud. Recognizing these threats is crucial for protecting yourself, your loved ones, and even your small business. This hands-on reference equips you with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the online landscape safely. It covers essential topics like securing your router and social media accounts, protecting personal information, and mitigating risks for children and vulnerable adults. Additionally, it offers valuable insights on online shopping safety, responsible technology disposal, and surviving a cyberattack.

You’ll learn about

• Safeguarding devices and how to master router configuration,　identifying IoT risks,　and creating impenetrable defenses.
• Navigating social media and securing accounts,　understanding privacy settings,　and banishing social media scams.
• Protecting your children and how to foster responsible online habits,　managing their digital access,　and keeping them safe from harm.
• Securing a small business and shielding data from cyberattacks,　avoiding business scams,　and ensuring responsible social media use.
• Caring for vulnerable family members and protecting them from online predators,　managing their digital accounts,　and handling sensitive topics like digital estate planning.
• Bouncing back from attacks and learning how to properly use data backup practices,　understand reporting procedures,　and emerge stronger from any digital mishap.

As part of the best-selling Pocket Primer series, this book is designed to introduce beginners to basic machine learning algorithms using TensorFlow 2. It is intended to be a fast-paced introduction to various “core” features of TensorFlow, with code samples that cover machine learning and TensorFlow basics. A comprehensive appendix contains some Keras-based code samples and the underpinnings of MLPs, CNNs, RNNs, and LSTMs. The material in the chapters illustrates how to solve a variety of tasks after which you can do further reading to deepen your knowledge. Companion files with all of the code samples are available for downloading from the publisher by emailing proof of purchase to info@merclearning.com.

Features:

• Uses Python for code samples
• Covers TensorFlow 2 APIs and Datasets
• Includes a comprehensive appendix that covers Keras and advanced topics such as NLPs, MLPs, RNNs, LSTMs
• Features the companion files with all of the source code examples and figures (download from the publisher)

Explore the transformative world of AI-driven marketing by integrating Artificial Intelligence into modern marketing strategies. This book is designed to help businesses optimize their operations, personalize customer experiences, and harness the full potential of AI to drive growth and innovation. You will learn the foundational concepts of AI and machine learning, discover best practices for data hygiene, structuring, and optimization, and explore how AI tools can transform customer data into actionable insights, enhancing your ability to create personalized and effective marketing campaigns. The book is tailored for marketing professionals, business owners, and digital strategists who are eager to integrate AI into their marketing practices. It is equally valuable for beginners and experienced marketers who want to stay at the forefront of the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape.

FEATURES

• Includes step-by-step guides for implementing AI tools in SEO, social media, and email
• Covers the use of AI to analyze customer behavior, benefits of chatbots, and AI-powered customer service
• Features real-world cases from leading companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify
• Uses AI tools to transform customer data into actionable insights for more effective campaigns

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Describes seven novel variations of the Turing test.
2. Outlines an original definition of consciousness described as implementable specifications.
3. Introduces the concept of Mathematics as a "genetically" transmissible cognitive medium.

This book presents a groundbreaking journey into the world of Generative AI technology and offers an in-depth look at the prospect of AI achieving consciousness. The book navigates through various historical and modern perspectives on AI, from ancient myths to the Turing Test to the latest in technological advancements. It covers the theoretical and practical aspects of creating a conscious AI, including the specifications for synthetic consciousness and the integration of AI with human cognition. The book questions whether generative AI can meet the traditional criteria of consciousness and how this might be realized.

This book is for business leaders looking to build software that creates better business outcomes by delivering effective product experiences. Over the last decade one of the biggest trends in technology has been a growing appreciation for the User Experience (UX). UX Lifecycle provides a UX methodology framework for implementing continuous improvement within organizations. It will help to address the basics such as defining what UX is; the importance of research; how UX is a process and not a job title; and where business value comes from improving efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction. At the heart of the UX process is the most important stakeholder - the user. This book will help you create the business case, education, processes, skills, tools, and the philosophy to deliver effective and enjoyable user experiences. These in turn will drive success in the modern software-enabled organization.

• Includes key considerations for creating a business case for UX within their organization and engaging senior business roles around the necessary business change required.

This book presents a well-researched theory that connects transcendent experience (TX) and user experience (UX). It also offers practical techniques for using the theory in designing technology to support TX. TX research focuses on the experiences and their implications without considering how technology might assist them. UX research, on the other hand, studies "techno-spiritual practices", largely overlooking the transcendent experiences that such practices can initiate. However, both fields could pay more attention to the growing interest in the connections between artificial intelligence (AI) and religion.

The author’s theory of transcendent user experience (TUX) combines insights from TX literature with interview-based research on tech and TXs. It reveals TUX as a cycle of phases, detailing their components and technology’s role. This theory leads to new design techniques. The playful "Transcendhance" game introduced here, will generate creative ideas for TUX tech; new forms of design fiction aid in exploring how ideas might enhance TUX and change lives. The book also reveals which TUX aspects are easy to design for and which are nearly impossible. The book argues that designing for TUX cannot use straightforward UX methods; it requires an oblique approach. The game and design fictions provide just this. The book concludes with advice on testing product support for transcendence and applying the techniques to broader UX. Ultimately, the framework and techniques provide vital tools for understanding transcendent user experiences and designing technology to support them

• Designed for readers relatively new to working in a bash environment
• Introduces readers to three powerful command line utilities that can be combined to create simple yet powerful shell scripts for performing a multitude of tasks