I’m interested in cybersecurity technology because I like computers but I’m not a fan of things like coding and I’m very bad with math and numbers in general, so computer science is kind of out of the question for me to pursue. I think that as a career cybersecurity could be very rewarding as being sent in to fix or prevent problems seems like it could be challenging and also potentially be fun. If I do not end up majoring in cybersecurity, I plan on getting my certifications after I graduate for something like cloud computing as it seems like you can still earn a very good salary without actually having to fully major in cybersecurity as long as you have your certifications. Four other majors offered at Old Dominion University that relate to cyber security would be for one criminology the need to for law enforcement to have secure data and servers to house things like DNA and evidence this seems to me like it would be a field that would need some of the most and the tightest security just like other government jobs. Another major and multiple career fields tied into cybersecurity would be clinical and lab sciences. It is very important that people in this field have secure and up to date servers as public health could be dependent on this and people private and personal information is very vulnerable. Another major and career field that would be connected to cybersecurity would be computer and information science. When it comes to developing new technology and working on computers the data people in this field use needs to be very secure. Civil engineering seems like another major and career field in which cybersecurity would play a big role in protecting sensitive data on infrastructure and new infrastructure planning to be built.

Response two

Ethical issues that arise from storing individuals’ private data are that people might be able to access it that are not authorized to gain access. Another issue is that this data can be used in a negative aspect against someone especially if someone unauthorized is able to gain access to the data in the first place. Depending on how sensitive and personal this information is this can have very devastating effects on someone or a business as more and more personal information such as peoples addresses and credit card information is being stored online as more and more companies move into the online shopping space. Another issue ethically that comes to light here is ownership of data that is stored whether or not the person whose information is stored has the right to ownership over the data that is being stored. This brings up another issue in that someone’s information can be used against there wishes not by being stolen but by being demanded by the government to receive at that point whoever has the data really has no say and ultimately the data is being given against the persons will who it can affect. Cybersecurity in the US comes in fifth overall in online security worldwide which is pretty much the opposite to what we come to in safety worldwide as a country. The cybersecurity measures that are standard in the united states are pretty state of the art when looking at other countries in the world. Other places like eastern Europe have huge problems when it comes to hackers and places like Russia and Slovakia have huge organizations of hackers mainly targeting western countries though things like phishing scams. The united states seems to carry a pretty high standard level of security online for things like business and especially things like government websites.

Response three

Cyber technology has created opportunities for people to not work by providing things like computer games you are able to play candy crush at work and just switch the application off when your boss walks by. Technology also provides online shopping and the always tempting ability to google anything you want whenever you want. Working from home has now become a very popular way to work and when this happens it is very easy to fall into these distractions. For example, people meeting over zoom often don’t even use their cameras and are using their phones and some people go to lengths to install programs that move their mouses for them when their company monitors if they are working or not. Cellphones are definitely the most distracting thing by far for people in all aspects of life the ability to talk to anyone anywhere or access any information about anything in a device that is small enough to be used very directly is the perfect tool to cause workplace distractions. Workplace distractions in general lower productivity very much and companies should try to implement workplace restrictions on non-essential technology. The Society for human resources recommends implementing breaks every hour or hour and a half for ten minutes or so to let employees check their phones and use non-essential technology.  I know that when I’m at work, and I have downtown which I often do I will be browsing twitter or Instagram and sometimes I do it subconsciously almost as if I don’t even want to check my phone at all but I will just do it naturally. The invention of wireless ear buds such as air pods also leads to another realm of distractions because they are very easy to use directly much like a phone is, and these tend to take people out of reality more than just visual distractions from a phone.

Response four

Looking at the cost and benefits of developing a cybersecurity program for business. I would say that developing a cybersecurity program would be an essential first step in online protection for the company that is doing so. If a company is doing business online especially than a cyber security team is absolutely needed to help make sure that peoples information is protected properly and to make sure that the company’s website is secure as well. The companies important information that is stored as priority needs the most secure storage as possible often with things like two factor authentication as the rise of cyber attacks specifically cyber attacks on small business have risen to an all time high as of late. Things like phishing, malware, and DDOS attacks are very real threats to small businesses and large ones alike. The cost of this would very on how many people are hired into the cybersecurity department a larger company would typically have more employees in the cybersecurity department. Regardless of the cost of paying these employees having them is a necessity and a general training of cybersecurity is important for all employees In the company to go through. Such as explaining the need to for complex password, changing passwords changing your passwords frequently, and two factor authentication.  I suspect with the ever changing world becoming more and more online everyday that the government will soon make it so that any companies doing business online need to have some sort of cyber security program set in place to protect the companies customers personal data. I think depending on how big a company is now that legally there has to be some soft of program set in place for customers data but it is not a law for all companies as of right now but this will most likely be addressed by the government soon.

Response five

Looking at three ways the computer has made the world safer and less safe would be a sense of connection with safety. The computer and internet allow us to connect with anyone at anytime this offers a way for mass information to spread in an instant. If someone commits a crime like a kidnapping an amber alert is sent out to everyone’s phone immediately and the vehicle that is driving with a kidnapped child is immediately known by everyone within up to multiple states away sometimes. Another way the computer made the world safe is by being able to access information. Before the internet you could not access information such as preforming a lift correctly, cutting wires safely, how to drive, if you’re on vacation in Australia you can google if something is safe to touch or not. Another way the computer made the world safter and arguably less safe is surveillance. Everything we type is recorded somewhere on some data base while this is an insane invasion of privacy it does allow the government to at least hopefully protect us if someone threatens an attack on twitter the government can be like what is this? A way the computer made things less safe would also be mass information spreading quickly. If someone is falsely accused of whatever people will get them fired, kicked out of school, shamed etc and then it can turn out that person did nothing and then its too late. Another way the computer made the  world less safe was addiction people became addicted to online gambling, videogames, pornography, tiktok etc. Another way the computer made the world less safe is that people have IP addresses and they are often very easy for others to find if you anger someone online such as in a video game or on twitter they can dox you almost instantly with very little effort. You can tell if your computer is safe or not by having an antivirus software by running a security check.

Response six

Engineers are a very core and essential part of having a successful cybersecurity program engineers help protect cyber networks by keeping up with and monitoring the infrastructure of their networks. These engineers often put into place virus protection while doing things like testing systems weak points and evaluating things like company firewalls. The overlap between cyber crime and criminal justice is an ever growing one in todays world. Cyberattacks happen about every thirty seconds and more and more crime is happening online. If we look at the dark web for example people go on there to buy all sorts of illegal things but so many people use this to buy peoples personal information so that they can steal their identities and or steal money from their bank accounts. The crime online has a large amount of variety and severity. From fraud to extortion to illegal gambling. Especially with people like black hats who are hackers that work to mainly steal personal information to sell for money. The overlap between cyber crime and criminal justice exists so much so today that certain police stations especially in bigger cities have cybercrime departments that work exclusively on solving and trying to prevent cyber crime. Cyber crime as technology advances will naturally advance with it. With this being said I think cyberattacks and cyber crime is just going to get more and more complex and people are going to get smarter and smarter as the technology put in place to stop these attacks increases. With the ability to destroy someone’s life easily online with the right intent, money, influence, or know how becoming a thing easier and easier for everyday normal people to be able to accomplish we will see how much more criminal justice and cybercrime converge in the  next few coming years.