About Me

My name is Cameron Wickware and I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I am a military child if you’re wondering why I am all the way in VA. I am a sophomore and my major is cybersecurity. I like to hang out with friends/ family, I like playing the game, I like going outside and being adventurous, and I like to make money. This is my 3rd cyber class, I already took CYSE 200T and CYSE 406. I am in CYSE 201S and CYSE 270 this year. I have liked ODU since I been here so far, the professors are great. I plan on getting my bachelor’s from ODU also.

Journal Entry #1

Certain areas I would like to focus on in my career are protect and defend, operate and maintain, investigate, and analyze. The ones that would least appeal to me would be collect and operate, oversee and govern, and securely provision. The areas I would like to focus on in my career are the ones that appeal to me the most. I like to protect our websites and devices from the viruses and watch out for threats. I would also like to start investigating more, making sure no fishy stuff is going on. I would also like to fix problems people have going on like troubleshooting, installs, and etc. Analyzing is something that would be great to have more knowledge on; collecting information and making sure everything is going smooth.

Journal Entry #2

• Relativism: everything is related and can affect each other.
• Objectivity: judgments should be based on facts and evidence, not biases or emotions
• Parsimony: solutions should be simple and efficient, not complex and wasteful.
• Empiricism: observations should be based on the human senses and experiments, not assumptions or beliefs.
• Ethical neutrality: research should follow ethical standards and not harm others.

Certain concepts are thought to guide both natural and social sciences. These principles are referred to as scientific principles. It has now been determined that cybersecurity is based on scientific concepts because it is related to social science. The concept/principle of relativism, which argues that everything is related to something, can be used to integrate cybersecurity and social science. Numerous systems connect the two, including the criminal justice system, the economic system, and so on. Once this relationship is recognized, scientists can begin to fully apply the other ideas. For example, determinism is a concept stating that certain circumstances influence behavior. This principle is related to cybersecurity via models like the nomothetic model, which provides an insight.

Journal Entry #3

Personal information is private and should be secured in a reliable place. Breaches are violations that involve the access of unauthorized individuals. Researchers can study breaches to better secure their networks and prevent further compromise. The researcher would also gain a thorough understanding of the laws and policies associated to the array of breaches. Breaches give researchers a reason to challenge breaches and deal with them accordingly. 

Journal Entry #4

His physiological needs relate to my technology needs, because when sitting on the computer for a while you’re going to need something to eat and drink. His security and safety needs relate because having good health and good insurance is great. Socials needs relate because I feel like it’s always great to have a bond and connect more with great people. Esteem Needs, you always have to have respect. Self-actualization needs, it is always great to see and have personal growth.

Article Review #1

Privacy Threats in Today’s Society

I reviewed an article from Journal of Cybersecurity called Privacy threats in Intimate Relationships. This article relates to the principles of social science because of security and privacy. There have been more and more hacking situations and threats going around. The information security community tends to focus its attention on a traditional collection of attackers: companies watching our online habits, criminals wanting to steal our data, government agencies spying on us to obtain information, and hackers aiming for the “lulz.” However, a large number of threats are significantly more common, perpetrated by much less powerful and technically sophisticated individuals with vastly different motivations and resources. These attackers are intimately familiar with their victims and have far greater access to their information, gadgets, and overall lives. 

​​ Their question is what are some ways they can get this to diminish. There is no possible way to fully stop it, so if they could find a way it can happen less. It happens so much it’s hard to stop it. “These threats are so common as to be treated as routine and often overlooked, but they are experienced much more frequently—and often with greater direct impact on victims’ lives—than many of the threats that dominate the security discussion”(Levy). A method they used was to examine privacy threats within particular relationships. Another method was to articulate a set of design considerations that is cognizant of intimate threats. They did an analysis of smart home security and it was 100 different types of threats. This article relates to the powerpoint presentations by all of the hacking and trying to steal data. In class we have always talked about cyber threats and attackers. We have always talked about privacy and having our information secure too. This topic relates to challenges and concerns because this has been going on for a while now and it needs to be stopped.

In conclusion, understanding privacy demands an integrated socio-technical approach. It entails focusing our attention on both new problems and new solutions for addressing them, taking seriously the social and cultural contexts in which technologies and users exist, and considering the full range of harms that privacy concerns can cause. It necessitates a broader perspective on how we develop secure systems. We can begin to describe design rules for addressing intimate risks by distinguishing the class and characterizing their shared traits.

Journal Entry #5

Entertainment- 5

Political- 3

Revenge- 6

Boredom- 2

Recognition- 4

For money- 7

Multiple reasons-1

Journal Entry #6

Fake website: change-address-post.com

Real website: https://www.usps.com

The fake website doesn’t begin with http and to change an address you actually need to go to the company certified website.

Fake website: xyz-comp.com

Real website: https://xyzcompany.com/

Again the face website doesn’t have https:// and will lead you to a website with wrong information.

Fake website: www.lolomgz.a.gp/?_fb_noscript=1/

Real website: https://www.facebook.com

The fake website looks like Facebook.com, but if you see on the browsers address bar you can see it’s not Facebook. It also doesn’t have http:// at the beginning.

Journal Entry #7

Meme: Why is my computer moving so slow!

This refers to the human system integration framework since it is critical to educate people about the risks they face while engaging in specific activity. When it comes to public WiFi, it can be one of the most dangerous networks to utilize. Allowing people on public Wi-Fi to access your computer or network-connected gadget. This demonstrates the importance of including human system integration to avoid potential workers from becoming victims of harmful cyberattacks.

Journal Entry #8

Movies sometimes confuse hackers and their abilities. Movies exaggerate a variety of elements of hackers, such as the speed with which something can be hacked. Usually, movies make it appear as if you can hack something or read code in minutes. When it would take a long time to go through the code or hack into something. Something else that movies do is manufacture products that do not exist in real life, giving the impression that hackers possess such powers. In general, the abilities of a hacker are highlighted in films. Films make it appear like able hackers can easily gain access to everything they desire. This conveys the sense that no one is truly safe or secure online.

Journal Entry #9

1. No

2. No

3. No

4. Yes

5. Yes

6. No

7. No

8. Yes

9. No

I scored good, I would describe myself as someone who doesn’t rely on social media to function throughout my day. I think that they are good items to ask to keep yourself in check incase you’re getting off of track. I think that different patterns are found across the world because different places have different things but everyone follows the wave from social media.

Article Review #2

The Direct Relationship Between Covid 19 & Cyberbullying

I reviewed an article from the Center For Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity titled Cyberbullying during COVID-19 pandemic. This article relates to the elements of social science through the role it has in cyberbullying. During the year of covid, people got way more in tune with technology and social media. This study attempts to address the factors that contribute to cyberbullying. When done, they gather the factors to see if there is a way to mitigate the rate of cyberbullying. Overall, the article analyzes the reasons why cyberbullying has been on the rise since COVID-19.

In order to strengthen the foundation of the work, this article makes use of secondary research. Its hypothesis is supported by prior evidence from investigations and previously established words. This serves to inform the reader even more about the subject at hand. This work makes extensive use of quantitative research as a key source of data that is used frequently. The researchers found data on when technology usage was on a rise and looked at when cyberbullying was rising and being brought more into the picture. COVID-19 was the start of everything. Everyone just being stuck in the house had plenty of free time to learn more about social media and technology. 

They found the reasoning of why cyberbullying was on the rise, technology advancing and people having more free time on their hands. “Past research further demonstrates a relationship between social media usage and perceived social isolation, colloquially referred to as loneliness”(Neuhaeusler 24). The people who are more socially isolated and have more time are a high possibility who is cyberbullying. The concepts from the powerpoint relate to this article with the social media correlation. Social media plays a big role in today’s world. The topic relates to challenges and concerns because cyberbullying is a big thing and it causes people to have mental health issues or even lead to doing something to themselves. Cyberbullying is not a thing to play with, it needs to be taken more seriously and put to an end.

In conclusion, cyberbullying plays a big and dangerous role in today’s society. Technology just keeps advancing and it’s so easy for people to use social media in a bad way. There needs to be a way where a lot of this cybercrime decreases. The effects people have on cyberbullying is not safe. So, there needs to be a change in this or it will get worse and worse.

Journal Entry #10

This article examines deeply into the future intentions for social cybersecurity and how the differences from cybersecurity may cause problems or even be used as a weapon of mass destruction. The domain provided by social cybersecurity has the ability to control the network and the information. Social cybersecurity is people using technology to hack other people, as opposed to cybersecurity, which uses technology to hack technology. Now that the general understanding of the workings of technological systems has been achieved, the ability to manipulate and obtain information through technology has become commonplace. The manipulation of information and networks within cyberspace is known as information and network maneuvers. Information related to social cybersecurity and psychological warfare will, in my opinion, rule future conflicts. Soon, social cybersecurity as a whole will undergo a revolution and be integrated.

Journal Entry #11

The defender that keeps an eye on the network and reacts to anomalies and breaches is the cybersecurity analyst. The best way to characterize this position is as a cybersecurity help desk that handles paperwork, research on different kinds of vulnerabilities, guidance and training for user awareness, and network monitoring and response. Although the role varies, the general goal of the job remains consistent with regard to the same social behaviors and themes. With the way that technology is changing human behavior, this work is only the beginning in terms of comprehending and advancing the cyber-infrastructure that society requires. High competition exists in these highly desired core states. Given that cybersecurity is still a relatively new profession, there are numerous career options; everything matters.

Journal Entry #12

The website glasswaherparts.com was breached and the system was compromised in this sample breach data. On the servers of the providers, malware was installed, causing all of the users’ card details and payment information to be exposed. The breach letter was a very wise move on the part of the company, and it was necessary to address this severe issue for the benefit of both the website and its users. This letter is related to the rational choice theory of economics since the business decided to notify the customers and thoroughly examine the situation by working with a cybersecurity firm and alerting federal law enforcement. This was a decision that was made in their best interest. This example illustrates the social science theory of planned behavior. The website/business was aware that it would be over if any of its clients experienced identity theft or money being taken from their credit cards as a result of a system hack. In addition to having to evaluate the situation, they recognized that a customer’s anticipated reaction if they learned about the news elsewhere other than from the company would be much worse. This letter closely links to the Laissez-fare economic theory because the government did not step in to intervene in the company until the employees requested assistance in order to defend their inherent rights. These people are the clients whose private data was compromised. Related to the idea is a dual-process social science theory called the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The rationale for the relationship is that the website made sure to include all the material required to address a lot of the searches that customers would likely have in the near future. This breach letter was designed in a way that aligns with this idea in order to persuade the recipients to adopt a more positive outlook and not become angry due to the letter’s assurance that the problem will be resolved. The corporation was attempting to rebuild trust while also reducing anxiety, fear, and any harm to the business or website as a result of the occurrence.

Journal Entry #13

The fact that bug bounties are a useful policy for establishing a more secure network should come as no surprise. Generally speaking, a business will experience a cyber breach or hacking at some point. Cybersecurity is typically a discipline that is implemented in reaction to an event. One way the bug bounty industry has kept one step ahead of the competition is through setting up bounties. Hackers gain from bug bounties as well as the firm does. A bug bounty program informs a business of its cybersecurity vulnerabilities while simultaneously giving hackers a way to profit or get recognition.

Career Paper

Cyber Threat Intelligence Analysis

Analysts of cyber threat intelligence (CTI) are essential in locating, evaluating, and averting cybersecurity risks that confront enterprises. In this field, technical proficiency is important, but so is the incorporation of social science research and principles. This study examines how social science is used by CTI analysts to improve their comprehension of threat actors, their motivations, and the larger socio-political environment that gives rise to cyber threats. Research from the social sciences offers important insights into the intentions and actions of cyber threat actors. 

CTI analysts use theories from criminology, psychology, and sociology to comprehend what motivates cyberattacks. For example, the Social Learning Theory explains how people pick up and use harmful behaviors from their social contexts, while the Rational Choice Theory aids in the analysis of threat actors’ cost-benefit calculations. CTI analysts can more successfully predict and oppose opponent tactics by utilizing social science principles. For instance, targeted interventions and law enforcement tactics can be informed by knowledge about the socioeconomic circumstances that motivate specific threat actors to commit cybercrime. In addition, social psychology insights aid in the creation of persuasive message that discourage potential attackers and modifies their behavior.

Research from the social sciences plays a crucial role in placing threat intelligence in the context of larger socio political issues. In order to evaluate the possibility and consequences of cyberattacks, CTI analysts examine socioeconomic inequalities, geopolitical tensions, and cultural aspects. For example, knowing the past grudges between nations can help predict state-sponsored cyber operations and assist enterprises in proactively strengthening their security. Furthermore, social science frameworks like social network analysis and power theory help to identify important players in the cyber threat landscape and their connections. CTI analysts can better prioritize threats and manage resources by defining threat actor networks and comprehending their alliances and rivalries. Additionally, cultural norms and communication patterns of various threat actor communities can be interpreted with the aid of cultural insights, leading to more sophisticated threat assessments.

Incorporating social science ideas allows CTI analysts to take a human-centered approach to threat intelligence. Rather than relying primarily on technological indicators, they evaluate the socio-cultural framework in which cyber risks develop and evolve. This includes investigating how socioeconomic issues including political instability, ideological extremism, and underprivileged communities contribute to the spread of cybercrime. In addition, social science research informs tactics for combating the radicalization and disinformation efforts promoted by threat actors. CTI analysts collaborate with specialists in fields such as media studies and communication theory to create counter-narratives and awareness campaigns to protect vulnerable populations from internet manipulation and recruitment strategies.

To summarize, cyber threat intelligence analysts rely on social science research and ideas to improve their understanding of hostile behavior, contextualize threat intelligence, and take a human-centered approach to cybersecurity. CTI analysts can foresee emerging threats, minimize risks, and contribute to a stronger cybersecurity posture for enterprises and society as a whole by combining insights from psychology, sociology, criminology, and other social scientific fields. As cyber dangers become more sophisticated, the inclusion of social science views will remain critical in effectively addressing cybercrime.

Journal Entry #14

The five most serious infractions are sharing passwords, addresses, or images of other people, gathering information about children, assuming an identity online, bullying and trolling, and illicit searches. Because many people can still be harmed even when bullying and trolling take place online, they are always grave offenses.  Even though trolling may be perceived as lighthearted jokes or insults, it has the potential to actually hurt real people because real individuals are behind these computers. Information gathering regarding minors is a very serious matter. Gathering data about children can put them in danger because the internet is a highly dangerous place for kids. It is just as criminal to fabricate an identity online as it is offline. Since an individual’s online persona represents them in real life, identity theft online can have devastating effects on an individual’s reputation or even their life. Although unauthorized searches might not appear harmful, there is always a chance that someone could truly want the information they are looking for, which could have fatal consequences for many people. For instance, it is a highly serious violation if someone searches for information on how to manufacture a bomb. Lastly, it is extremely risky to share someone else’s passwords, addresses, or images without that person’s permission, because many bad actors will go to great lengths to damage others. Examples of this include kidnappings, stalking, and other crimes.

Journal Entry #15

After viewing Davin Teo’s TED talk video offering his insights on the Digital Forensic job industry and his journey into it, I was thrilled because I am very interested in this field. Digital forensic investigators are knowledgeable with electronic equipment, data collection and analysis, and the use of digital evidence technologies to aid solve crimes. Social sciences are important in digital forensics because investigators must understand the psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of a crime in order to solve it. 

Davin Teo does a great job of outlining his path to the career field.  He did not start in this field; instead, he was an accountant, which is encouraging because it shows that you can start anywhere and still change careers to find, as he described it, your “niche.” After discussing his background in computer science and how he landed his dream career in digital forensics, he relates his experiences working with the law and other companies. The stories show how he applies his professional talents and knowledge of the social sciences to a person’s behavior, such as when he shares, to restore everything to its original state so the person is unaware that anything is wrong with their computer or desk. With this position, he emphasizes the importance of being discreet. Understanding features of social structure, performing research, and human behavior can be beneficial, as seen in incidents involving the IT department, death threats, and bank accounts. They followed a concealed framework, and he was able to evaluate the data in these circumstances by combining social sciences and technical talents.

The digital forensics profession is quite exciting, requiring an awareness of several fields of social science as well as technical skills that will aid in a successful career. Mr. Teo’s journey and continuing understanding of the ever-changing digital world is encouraging, and it demonstrates that possibilities outside of your regular career field are worthwhile to pursue because they may lead to something you enjoy even more.