Introduction
At the most basic level, a cybersecurity analyst is someone who analyzes systems and creates programs and systems to defend other systems from cybersecurity attacks. They mostly look for vulnerability’s in systems and find holes that a cybercriminal could use to get in. They are also important during active cybersecurity incidents in figuring out what needs to be done to mitigate what is happening and provide reports after the incident are over. (Cyber Defense Analyst: CISA). As long as a company has a need for cybersecurity, they will have a need for a cyber security analyst.
The social science aspect.
The social science principles that a cybersecurity analyst probably relates to the most would be Parsimony, Ethical Neutrality, and Skepticism. I personally feel that Skepticism is important simply because you have to be careful when looking at cybersecurity incidents after they happen. What data was manipulated? What was stolen? How did they get in? All important questions to ask, because if you just accept what you see at face value you will be led astray in your efforts to fix whatever way you were breached.
Parsimony I feel is probably the most important of the social science principals relating to a cybersecurity analyst. When talking to outsiders to the field, specifically higher ups at a company that might not understand the terms you use, you have to use simple terms and explanations when you explain things to them. Like when talking about a breach into your networks, they may not understand all the technical jargon you might use amongst other cybersecurity analysts, so you would have to simplify it for them to understand.
Like almost all cybersecurity jobs, marginalized groups tend to be the ones who are the least represented and the most vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. This applies even in the case of cybersecurity analysts. Women and People of Color are highly underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce. (Ho & Browning, 2020) While I can’t really speak of the issues facing those marginalized group trying to get into Cyber Security Analyst job specifically, I can say that spreading awareness to these communities about the lack of their representation in them may inspire more to eventually join the field. (Anthony, 2023)
Cybersecurity Analysts, as the main barrier between a company and cybercriminals, also face an important public facing position in the company. Say you are a customer for a company and it gets hacked and your personal identifying information gets leaked? You would blame the company more than likely. But who is the company going to blame for the incident? The Cybersecurity team, including their analysts who are the ones in charge of keeping the holes secured and patched. On an everyday basis you might not think about them, but they are the ones keeping you data safe from criminals for many companies you interact with
Conclusion
Cybersecurity Analysts play an important role in keeping companies safe from continuous threat of cybercriminals. Their main roles are identifying weak points in systems, reducing damage before, during and after breaches, as well as keeping systems secure. The connection to social sciences is a bit hard for me to see, but Parsimony at least fits the requirements for a cybersecurity analyst in the way they have to speak to outsiders of the field. Other than the obvious lack of representation of marginalized groups in field of cybersecurity, I don’t really see a direct connection between those groups and a cybersecurity analyst. Lastly, focusing on their front facing position in the case of a breach and loss of data in a company is important.
References
Anthony, A. (2023, March 13). Cyber resilience must focus on marginalized individuals, not just institutions. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2023/03/cyber-resilience-must-focus-on-marginalized-individuals-not-just-institutions?lang=en
Cyber Defense Analyst: CISA. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA. (n.d.). https://www.cisa.gov/careers/work-rolescyber-defense-analyst
Ho, L., & Browning, C. C. (2020, September 10). Cybersecurity and anti-racism. Medium. https://medium.com/berkeleyischool/cybersecurity-and-anti-racism-294c0906d83b