1. Why are you interested in cybersecurity technology?

The first place I learned to read was in front of a CRT monitor in a small apartment in Arkansas. Nickelodeon, Hooked On Phonics, dial-up, AOL, Cartoon Network… all websites and programs I can vividly recall using before first grade. Computing technology at that time was little more than an accessory to the average civilian, a novelty of temporary connection to a world much larger than any had ever known before. Growing up through the technological revolution I have seen computing and networking transform from a minor upgrade to life, to being its beating and thrumming heart. I’ve seen the change of protecting as much personal identity as possible online to many people voluntarily submitting their own names, phone numbers, addresses, and much more on websites they’ve visited once. I am personally interested in cybersecurity technology to better understand the beating heart of our society, and how best I can interact with it to protect myself and others from being overly vulnerable.

2. Select four other majors offered by ODU and explain how those majors relate to cybersecurity.

  • Registered Nursing – Nursing, and any other medical professional, deal deeply with an individual’s personal information and health care program. With so many people involved with this care system, each person provides a potential vulnerability to the information being accessed.
  • Criminology – Traditional crimes deal very little with technology, however an emerging market of white collar and cyber crimes is a trend growing in direct correlation with society’s technological literacy. Understanding crime in the modern world requires an understanding (at some level) of cybercrime.
  • Finance – The world’s finances are tracked, sorted, managed, and interacted with through technology. This makes financial assets a highly volatile item in the world of cyberattacks.
  • Engineering – Engineering, specifically civil engineering, must keep in mind that many pieces of infrastructure that depend on technology are vulnerable to attack.