Cybersecurity Analyst and Social Science
Introduction
The career I chose to write this paper on is a cybersecurity analyst. The reason I
chose this career is because I find it to be one of the most interesting jobs in the
cybersecurity world. The role of a cybersecurity analyst is to protect the security of
information and all valuable assets from any cyber threats. A cybersecurity analyst
deals with hardware, software, and networks keeping them safe from theft and
unauthorized access. There are a few important ways that this career can relate to
social sciences. In this paper I will give a few reasons why it does.
Social Science concepts related to cyber security analysts
A cybersecurity analyst deals with different types of threats, but every threat
comes from a person. Understanding social science aspects of cybersecurity can help
the analyst have an upper hand against people who have harmful intentions towards a
company or organization. This is called social cybersecurity, according to an article on
researchgate.net Kathleen Carley stated that it is created to counter threats that emerge
from the advances of technology and our reliance on it. Social sciences are based off
people and their relationship with society. This relationship with society also covers
criminals, cybersecurity analysts need to have a strong understanding of this
relationship with society and people to better counter threats both active and also in

their security plan. A good example of this is by learning about a marginalized group.
Elderly people are often targeted a lot, according to the CISA as of 2012 53% of people
over 65 use the internet. The reason they are targeted is because of their little
experience with technology, which makes them easier targets. A cybersecurity analyst
can use information on this marginalized group to better prevent threats towards elderly
people by structuring their plan based off of it. Using information on this marginalized
group will also help the analyst deal with active threats in real time.
Analysts don’t only have to protect elderly people but they also have to protect
people who are more experienced with technology, but are falling for a scam. Analysts
sometimes have to deal with threats in real time, sometimes people fall for scams even
though they have experience with technology.
Another social science principle an analyst needs would be the CIA triad,
according to sangfor.com it is a fundamental concept in information security. The CIA
triad is a widely accepted structure that every cybersecurity major needs to understand.
It is a model for a strong security system that stands for confidentiality, integrity, and
availability. When an analyst uses the CIA triad they can create a strong security
system to keep a system from loss and theft.
Another helpful concept from this class that a cybersecurity analyst needs is
knowing the five types of neutralizations. The five types of neutralizations are denial of
injury, denial of victim, denial of responsibility, appeal to higher loyalty, and
condemnation of the condemners. These are five common reasons people commit
crime, each are “neutralizations” or driving forces that turn off somebody’s conscience
enabling them to commit a crime and harm someone. A cybersecurity analyst deals with

criminals, and if they study the five neutralizations they can better face any threats both
active and during prevention.
Another concept from class that an analyst should know is the Social Order,
which is a theory that states that social sciences are just as scientific as the natural
sciences. This means that a framework can be created for cybersecurity, better helping
an analyst do their job. Dealing with cybersecurity in a structured and scientific way can
help somebody keep a network, software, and hardware safe from threats. Another vital
concept from class is social engineering, when an analyst studies types of social
engineering they can be aware of threats and deal with them.
Conclusion
A cybersecurity analyst prevents theft, loss, and unauthorized access to
networks, software, and hardware. While all of these threats are done through
computers and malware the core threat is people with malicious intentions. A
cybersecurity analyst using social sciences is extremely important for prevention. In this
paper I related some of the most notable concepts we’ve learned in class to this job
position.