What is the overlap between criminal justice and cybercrime? How does this overlap relate to the other disciplines discussed in this class?

The area of criminal justice involves activities before, during, and after the commission of a crime.  Cybercrime is illegal acts utilizing the computer as the source. The overlap is that both include illegal acts. While cybercrime utilizes computers, the end results are still against the law, such as fraud, identity theft, and others. Since criminal justice encompasses activities before, during, and after the act there are different disciplines that can be related to the overlap. Cybersecurity is one that is related due to the prevention of the crime taking place. Another overlap between criminal justice and cybercrime would be that certain white-collar crimes would be considered cybercrimes and vice versa. Both white collar crimes and cybercrimes are handled by specific police units or cybercrime units/ digital forensics units that are specifically trained in that area. Another similarity between cybercrimes and white collar crimes is that both have a large amount of unreported crime because victims do not know how to report the crime or do not want to report it. You can see the dark figure of crime in a lot of different crimes whether it is committed through cybercrime or on the streets, and most of the time it is because the victims do not even know they were victimized til it is too late.

How do engineers make cyber networks safer?

Cyber networks are composed of a combination of hardware and software. Engineers are able to make the networks safer at different stages of development. Hardware engineers develop and monitor how computer systems and networks are set up and run. The processing systems can be vulnerable to cyber attacks if certain measures aren’t implemented such as separate circuits, testing computer chips, and anything related to the physical processors. Software engineers make cyber networks safer by developing programs and software that can prevent, intercept, or track cyber security attacks. These programs provide additional assistance to prevent the problems from happening. Furthermore, there are cyber security engineers, sometimes they are called information security engineers. These engineers identify threats and vulnerabilities in different systems and software’s used by different companies and organizations. They develop and implement solutions to defend against all types of cyber crimes including hacking, malware, and ransomware. These cyber crimes are the things that can really hurt a business and cause them to owe thousands or millions of dollars down the road. The last type of engineer that makes cyber networks safer is an Information Technology Engineer. Information Technology Engineers find troubles within a system and design new information technology systems within an organization.

How does cyber technology impact interactions between offenders and victims?

Cyber technology does indeed impact interactions between offenders and victims. Cyber technology is continuing to grow in our society and not everyone uses the cyber world as they should. Initially, it takes way longer to know you’re a victim of a crime when computers/ technology is involved. A lot of people do not know exactly what to look for when it comes to cybercrimes and when they do notice something is off it is way too late. It is a lot easier to become a victim with cyber technology because there are so many aspects that you could get “attacked” from.

When you hear the words offenders and victims your mind is going to go directly to a crime that happened face to face. For example, an offender shoots and kills the victim on the street and runs away. When people are in public they are always looking around at their surroundings and sometimes even prepared for something to happen, but when it comes to cyber technology no one Is ever ready or prepared to be attacked.

Offenders can easily stalk people and gain so much information about their personal life just from looking at the pictures, tweets, and words they post on all their social media accounts. When some people post things on Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook about their life you never think that an offender is reading those things and planning to use them against you. Another example is that an offender can appear as anyone. You could easily be using a dating app to talk to a guy and share your personal information with him because he tells you what you want to hear and when it comes to meeting in person it could be someone completely different, which could put you in danger.

Cyber technology makes it so much easier to have an interaction between an offender and victim, but it comes in all sorts of ways, and no one expects it to happen to them. The cyber world makes it scarier, easier, and allows the offenders to be sneaky.

Describe three ways that computers have made the world safer and less safe.

Our world continues to move around technology as it advances and changes our everyday lives. Technology has allowed us to do things in a more efficient way and has allowed us to feel safer.

The biggest way that computers and technology have made our world safer is by improving communication. Whether you are at work, home, or running errands you rely on the form of communication through technology. For example, when someone is home alone, and someone is breaking into their house, and they call 911 the dispatcher is using a computer to relay all that important information to the police officers coming to help them. Computers are used to connect people all around the world from different countries and that communication is the main reason our country is the way it is today.

The next way that computers have made the world safer is through our education systems. The use of computers and computer systems in preschool through college allows teachers and staff to prepare the students for the future. It allows the staff to show the kids right from wrong, and ways to be safe on the computer and use it right. Those computers allow the students to learn faster and more efficiently which provides them with the tools to continue further down the road.

         The last way that computers have made the world safer is through our health systems. Without computers in our health systems, medical records and a patient’s personal information would not be as safe as it is today. Computers keep track of patients, patients’ records, their vitals while they are in the hospital, medications, blood banks, etc. Health systems and hospitals work by computers from the top down and that is what makes people feel safe.

         Even though computers play a big role in making our world a safe place to live they also have cons and can make this world a less safe place. Just like computers provide communication, communication systems could just as easily be compromised. Furthermore, infrastructure plans and contracts can easily be compromised and given to the wrong people. As computer systems grow so do cyber crimes. Hackers are getting good at creating their own viruses and malware to attack systems. The last way that computers make our world less safe is the chance of our government documents getting hacked, especially the ones that rely on special clearance.

         Computers are a way of life, but they also can cause damage to our world, and I feel like we forget that.

.  How can you tell if your computer is safe?

As technology grows in our world so do the cyber vulnerabilities, attacks, and threats that we have to worry about each and every day. People don’t realize that there are things you can do on your own when it comes to protecting your own technological devices and checking them every now and then. The first thing you can do to tell if your own personal computer is safe is to test your settings overall. You can download a free app on your computer called “Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer” and this tool will scan your windows and office settings for any potential threats or problems. Everyone, including myself, always forgets to or just completely ignores updating their browser. It does not matter if you use yahoo, google, safari, or google chrome. You need to update your browser because when you update it, it is getting you the latest and safest version which adds even more protection to your computer than you had before. The next thing you can do to tell if your computer is safe is to test your firewall. Depending on what type of computer you have may change the way you have to test it, but I do know if you have a Windows or MacBook that they come with decent firewalls in them. Just take a couple of minutes out of your day and test it because you may never know. Furthermore, another simple thing you can do to make sure your computer stays safe is permanently delete files. If you just simply drag and drop your files in the trashcan at the bottom of your screen does not mean they are permanently deleted. So, make sure at least once every week that you are going in there and deleting them for sure. The last thing you can do to tell if your computer is safe changing your passwords. Don’t use the same password for everything and change them up every month in order to secure your personal information and devices.

What are the costs and benefits of developing cybersecurity programs in business?

Developing cybersecurity programs may take a lot of time, energy, and money, but it is the most important thing that a business needs in order to be successful. The number one cost that will cost the most is getting a cybersecurity company to come in and download their software onto all of your technology including computers, so that way all of your information is safe and secure. The next step that would cost you is making sure all of your employees are up to date and trained on the new system that you put into place. I would say training should take at least 4 weeks and at most 6 weeks. This training should involve getting familiar with the signs if someone was to breach the program and what steps are in place to stop it as quickly as possible. If no one inside the business knows how to work the cybersecurity program that was installed, then maybe the business needs to hire someone from the outside in order for their employees to get the best training because in the long run of things it will save you money. The last major cost that is very important is the upkeep of the cybersecurity program. Every month, or at least every other month the system needs updates and needs to be checked to make sure that the program is doing what it is supposed to be doing. Just like toys get broken and worn down as time goes on, the same things happen with programs. Sometimes the systems just need a couple of hours to undergo a break and update to make sure everything can operate smoothly. The number one benefit of developing a cybersecurity program is to protect the business from getting hacked. When businesses get hacked it can cost them up to millions and millions of dollars, and most of your small businesses don’t have that money sitting around if something like that happens. That is why it is so important to spend the money on the programs so that way your business and employees stay safe.

How has cyber technology created opportunities for workplace deviance?

Today we live in a society where technology is taking over and is a big aspect of our lives, and with that comes a lot of trust for your employees in the workplace. Unfortunately, all of your employees are not always going to have good intentions for the business, and that is where workplace deviance comes into play. Deviance is “the fact or state of departing from usual or accepted standards”, which can mean a lot of things in the cyber technology world. Mostly everything nowadays is digitally stored online which includes financials for a business, business accounts, medical records, personal information, passwords, and other records that need to be kept locked away.

            The first situation that comes to mind when I think about workplace deviance would be if an employee leaves a job on bad terms or gets fired/ released. They have access to all of those records so when they get mad at a business, they could simply download that information and use it against them in the future if they wanted. For example, the employee can download important files that should be kept within a business and blackmail or threaten that business to send the files somewhere else in exchange for their job back or for money in return. This would be considered deviant behavior by performing outside of the accepted standards of the company.

            Technology has allowed many people to get away with things simply because they are behind a screen and there are many loopholes to go through to find the criminal/problem with no face or name. That is why individuals feel comfortable performing these types of deviance in a workplace because they believe they would not be tracked down. Furthermore, employees could simply take down firewalls so that hackers can access their information easier, or they could simply send hackers or other businesses’ bank account information. I believe protocols need to be put in place so that workplace deviance gets minimized.

Use the letters of the word CYBERSECURITY to list legal ways to make money in cybersecurity. 

Cyber security stock in which you can buy into the industry

YouTube channel creator on different tutorials on the cyber security field in general

Being an independent consultant to go and run training for businesses to test for vulnerabilities.

Earn certifications that can put you at different levels of the cyber world and possibly raise security clearances

Replace/restore information that may not be backed up by creating a new way

Successfully run a cyber security simulation to simulate real threats and how to protect against them

Educate anyone interested in cyber security by writing a book on personal experiences and protocols

Correctly train or run trainings for employees on the dangers and preventives on cyber security and the types of attacks that can occur.

Uninstalling programs that remove apps, programs, or files that aren’t being used to make more space.

Running a cyberwarfare range where businesses, city governments, and colleges can send employees to where they will be simulated against attacks and where they can learn how to detect and prevent them.

Introducing and developing cyber security applications that you can be used in real-life situations.

Technical support for companies and their websites

Youth-friendly programs that help teach kids about the basics of cybersecurity

When you are comparing cybersecurity risks in the United States and other countries, the United States tends to be right In the middle. It seems to be that the United States is at the top of multiple sources when it comes to being attacked. For example, the United States is the number one country to be affected by and targeted for phishing attacks. The United States is also highly affected by advance-free fraud schemes and is on the top five of that list. The United States seems to be targeted by multiple cyber crimes which means that they have a good amount of cybersecurity risks to look out for.

            On the other hand, we have countries like Russia. Russia tends to be a little more overall involved. Russia is known to host one of the most botnets in the world. I personally believe that it is the harshest form of cybercrime since once they are deployed, they can be controlled by the criminal. As Russia contains the botnets and material to attack other countries, they still have to worry about getting attacked themselves.

            While the United States and Russia have many differences when it comes to cybersecurity risks and cybercrime issues, they do have some similarities. As the United States is the number one country for being targeted for phishing, Russia is also in the top five that are targeted for phishing. Another similarity between the two countries would be digital piracy. As digital piracy numbers continue to rise every day, Russia and the United States are in the top five countries for pirating. No country is completely safe against cybercrime attacks and each country needs to continue to adapt and be aware of the cybersecurity risks.

The first ethical issue that arises when storing electronic information about individuals would be keeping people’s information longer than needed. If there is no reason to keep the information in the system, then it needs to get deleted or officially disposed of. Keeping the information too long poses too many threats. The second ethic issue that could arise would be the inappropriate use of data. This happens when an individual’s data or someone’s personal information is collected and used for a completely different reason than they got told. The third ethical issue that could arise is dealing with security breaches. A security breach can turn into an ethical issue when storing electronic information about Individuals when it doesn’t get handled correctly. An example of this would be not letting those individuals, whose personal information was involved, know that their information was put at risk. It needs to be handled correctly in order to prevent it from becoming an ethical issue. The last ethical issue that could arise would be selling personal information to third parties or any individuals who did not get consent to have that information in the first place. Not only is selling information to other people a privacy issue, but it also ruins the whole purpose of the information being confidential.