Cyber Security Analyst

Introduction:
A cybersecurity analyst is responsible for protecting computer systems, networks, and data from
cyber threats. This job is important today because almost everything that we do is online, from
banking to school, to healthcare systems. Cyberattacks like phishing, ransomware, and data
breaches happen constantly, so cybersecurity analyst work to prevent, detect, and respond to
these attacks. The purpose of this paper is to explain how social science concepts are used in this
career and how human behavior plays a major role in cybersecurity. It will also look at how this
profession affects society, especially marginalized groups, and why social science is important in
understanding cybercrime.

Social Science Principles in Cybersecurity:
Cybersecurity is not just technical, it is heavily influenced by human behavior. Social science
research helps cybersecurity analyst understand why people fall for scams, how attackers
manipulate victims, and what motivates cybercriminals. A major part of these cyberattacks relies
on psychology, especially social engineering, where attackers trick people into giving away
sensitive information.
Cybersecurity analyst also studies human-computer interaction to understand how users behave
online. For example, people often reuse weak passwords or ignore security warnings just because
of convenience.
In daily work, cybersecurity analyst uses these insights to build awareness programs and reduce
human error, which is one of the biggest causes of security breaches.

Application of Key Concepts:

Several key concepts from class apply directly to cybersecurity analyst roles. One major concept
is risk assessment, which involves identifying threats and evaluating how like they are to happen
and how much damage they could cause.
An important key concept that sticks with the work of a cybersecurity analyst is Marxian
economic theory. This theory focuses on how power and resources are evenly distributed, and
how those with more power can sometimes exploit those with less. A cybersecurity analyst uses
this understanding to help reduce those power gaps by strengthening defenses. For example, they
may prioritize protecting sensitive data, improving access controls, and educating users who are
most vulnerable.

Marginalization:
In a cybersecurity analyst career, understanding marginalization is important because not all
users or community have the same level of knowledge or digital protection. Low income
communities, for example, may not have access to updated devices, secure networks, or
cybersecurity education, which makes them more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Cybersecurity
analyst must consider these risks when developing security systems because attackers often
target individuals who are less likely to recognize threats.
Another issue cybersecurity analyst deal with is data privacy and surveillance concerns.
Marginalized groups may already experience higher levels of monitoring in society, so weak
cybersecurity protections can increase their exposure to data misuse or unfair targeting. Because
of this, analyst must think about ethics when designing systems, making sure security measures
protect users without creating harm or bias.

Career Connection to Society:

Cyber security analyst plays a major role in keeping society safe because they protect the
systems that people rely on every day. This includes hospitals that store patient records, banks
that handle financial transactions, and schools that manage student data. If these systems are not
properly protected, it can lead to serious consequences like financial loss, identity theft, or
disruption of essential public services. Their work supports the stability of modern society and
ensures that critical systems continue to operate safely and efficiently.

Scholarly Journal Articles:
Cybersecurity analysts focus a lot on how human behavior affects security because research
shows most breaches happen because of people, not just systems (Pollini et al. 2022). This is
important in their job because they must pay attention to things like mistakes, weak passwords,
and risky user behavior. Social engineering is also a big issue they deal with since attackers often
trick people using trust, fear, or urgency instead of breaking into systems directly (Wang et al.,
2021). Because of this, cybersecurity analyst spend time helping organizations build awareness
training and better defenses against manipulation. Research also shows that not everyone is
equally good at spotting phishing emails, which is why training is a major part of their work
(Steves et al., 2020). These studies help analyst understand how to better protect users by
focusing on human behavior as much as technology.

Conclusion:

Cybersecurity analysts are essential to protecting both individuals and large systems from cyber
threats. Their work is not only technical but also deeply connected to human behavior, social
inequality, and public safety. By understanding how people interact with technology and how
different groups are affected by cyber risks, analyst can build stronger and more inclusive security systems. This career plays a major role in protecting society’s digital infrastructure and
maintaining trust in the modern online world.

Work Cited:
Pollini, A., Callari, T. C., Tedeschi, A., Ruscio, D., & Guerri, D. (2022). Leveraging human
factors in cybersecurity: An integrated methodological approach. Cognition, Technology &
Work, 24, 371–390.
Wang, Z., et al. (2021). Social engineering in cybersecurity: A domain ontology and knowledge
graph application examples. Cybersecurity, 4(31)
R
Steves, M., Greene, K., & Theofanos, M. (2020). Categorizing human phishing detection
difficulty: A Phish Scale. Journal of Cybersecurity, 6(1)