Cybersecurity, Technology, and Society

1. Interest in cybersecurity comes from its role in protecting information and systems in our digital landscape. Cybersecurity involves safeguarding data from unauthorized access and attacks, which is so important for companies, and even more so for national security. As technology evolves, so do the challenges in cybersecurity, which makes creativity, and problem-solving skills essential.Relating other majors to cybersecurity:

   Computer Science: This is the major that is the closest to cybersecurity. It provides the foundational in programming, and system design needed for understanding and building secure systems. Students learn about data structures, network creation, and software development, all of which are important skills in cybersecurity for identifying vulnerabilities, and developing code.

   Information Technology: IT focuses on the use and management of technology in different companies. This major is a tier below computer science, but helps cybersecurity by providing insights into how technology is used, which is important for understanding how to protect it. Subjects like network management, database administration, and IT project management are all important keys relating to cybersecurity.

   Criminal Justice: This degree provides a different viewpoint but is definitely relevant in cybersecurity. With a focus on law enforcement and legal frameworks, criminal justice degrees can bring valuable insights into how and why criminals do what they do. Understanding the legal implications/ramifications of cyber-attacks and data breaches is so important for building/maintaining a cybersecurity strategy.

   Business Administration: Today, cybersecurity is not just a technical issue but also a business one. A major or even a minor in business administration can help understand the financial, and operational impacts of cybersecurity decisions. Risk management, and strategic decision-making are key things where business crosses into the cybersecurity realm.

   Combining knowledge from these different degree paths can lead to a more well-rounded approach to cybersecurity, addressing not only the technical challenges but also the legal, operational, and strategic aspects of protecting digital assets.

2. The storage of electronic information about individuals raises several ethical issues, reflecting the delicate balance between technological advancement and the rights and privacy of individuals.Privacy and Confidentiality: The most prominent ethical issue is the protection of an individual’s privacy. When PII (personal identifiable information) is stored electronically, there is a risk that it could be accessed by unauthorized parties, leading to privacy breaches. Ensuring confidentiality of this kind of data is beyond important, and it involves not only protecting the data from external threats but also managing who within the organization has access to it.

   Data Security: Alongside privacy, ensuring the security of electronic information is another important ethical concern. This includes safeguarding data from cyber-attacks, such as hacking, phishing, and other forms of cybercrime. It’s not just about protecting the data from external threats but also about securing it from internal vulnerabilities, like insider threats or even system errors.

   Comparing cybersecurity risks in the United States and France, we see both commonalities and distinctions due to different regulatory environments, technological infrastructures, and cyber threat landscapes. In the United States, there is a strong focus on protecting against a wide range of cyber threats, due to France’s significant global economic and political influence. The United States faces challenges related to protecting critical infrastructure, corporate data, and government networks.

   France, while sharing many of these concerns, particularly in fields like finance, energy, and defense, has also been grappling with issues specific to the European context. France has faced a lot of ransomware attacks and has been active in developing a more efficient national cybersecurity strategy.

   Both countries are continually evolving their cybersecurity measures to address these risks, focusing on strengthening networks, and investing in cybersecurity research and development. However, the specific strategies and priorities can be different between French companies, and the French government.

3. Cyber technology has significantly transformed the workplace, offering numerous advantages but also creating new opportunities for workplace deviance.Remote Access and Reduced Oversight: Cyber technology enables remote work, which, while beneficial, also reduces direct oversight. This can lead to improper behaviors like time theft, where employees misuse work hours for personal activities, or data theft, where sensitive information is improperly accessed or shared making them an insider threat. Sometimes becoming an insider threat isn’t even intentional.

   Anonymity and Impersonation: Digital platforms allow for a little bit of anonymity or even impersonation. Employees might engage in cyberbullying, harassment, or spread misinformation while hiding their true identity, making accountability challenging.

   Increased Data Vulnerability: With businesses storing vast amounts of data online, there is a heightened risk of insider threats. Employees with access to this data can engage in unauthorized sharing, selling, or manipulation of sensitive information.

   Online Time Mismanagement: This is a problem that was at an all-time high during COVID. Easy access to the internet can lead to excessive use of social media or other non-work-related websites during work hours, impacting productivity and focus.

   Cyberloafing: This involves employees using the internet for personal activities during work hours, which is facilitated by the easy access to online content. Some examples could be anything from Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, or really anything not correlated to their job.

   Manipulation of Digital Records: Cyber technology makes it easier to alter digital records and documents, which can be used for fraudulent activities or even to cover up their own mistakes.

   While cyber technology has helped the work environment by increasing efficiency and flexibility, it has also introduced new forms of risks. These range from data security breaches to productivity issues, highlighting the need for good digital ethics policies and effective monitoring systems in the workplace.

4. Developing cybersecurity programs in businesses involves a balance between costs and benefits.Benefits:

   Protection Against Cyber Threats: The main benefit is the protection against various cyber threats such as data breaches, hacking, and phishing. This is important in safeguarding sensitive information including customer data, or intellectual property (such as classified material).

   Regulatory Compliance: Many industries have strict regulatory requirements for data protection. Implementing cybersecurity measures helps businesses comply with these regulations, avoiding legal problems and fines.

   Reputation and Trust: Strong cybersecurity measures can help build customer trust. Customers are more likely to do business with companies that can protect their personal information, which of course, should be a given.

   Operational efficiency: Effective cybersecurity reduces the risk of disruptions caused by cyber-attacks, ensuring operational stability.

   Long-Term Cost Savings: While initial investments can be high, well designed cybersecurity systems can prevent costly data breaches and system downtimes in the long run.

   Costs:

   Financial Investment: The most obvious cost is the financial investment required for cybersecurity infrastructure, which includes hardware, software, and specialized personnel.

   Training and Awareness Programs: Continuous employee training and awareness programs are essential but can become costly especially when it comes to maintaining good training for everyone involved.

   Maintenance and Updates: Cybersecurity systems require regular updates and maintenance to stay effective against evolving threats.

   Potential for Reduced Efficiency: Implementing hard cybersecurity measures can sometimes slow down systems or make certain processes less user-friendly.

   Risk of depending too much: There’s a risk that relying on cybersecurity technology might lead to complacency in other areas of risk management.

   So, while the development and use of cybersecurity programs in business require significant financial and operational investment, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Protecting against cyber threats, ensuring compliance, maintaining customer trust, and securing operational reliability are important and even significant advantages that make these investments very worthwhile.

5. Determining if your computer is safe involves a couple key indicators. An up-to-date antivirus program should be installed and regularly scanning for threats. Your computer should have the latest software updates, including the operating system and all applications, as these often include security patches. Lastly there shouldn’t be any unexpected behaviors such as slow performance, frequent crashes, or random pop-up ads, which can be signs of malware or other security issues.Ways Computers Have Made the World Safer:

   Enhanced Communication: Computers have revolutionized communication, enabling instant and widespread communication of information. This is important when it comes to emergency situations, where timely communication can save lives.

   Improved Healthcare: Computers facilitate advanced medical research, patient record management, and diagnostic tools, leading to better healthcare services and disease control. Computers now operate the majority of systems within healthcare.

   Increased Security Measures: Through surveillance, data encryption, and cybersecurity measures, computers help in safeguarding personal, corporate, and government data, reducing the risk of theft or spying.

   Ways Computers Have Made the World Less Safe:

   Cybersecurity Threats: The rise of computers has led to an increase in cybercrimes like hacking, phishing, and identity theft. Sensitive personal and financial information is at constant risk of being compromised.

   Dependence and Vulnerability: Over-reliance on computer systems in critical systems can lead to vulnerabilities. Malfunctions or targeted cyber-attacks can hurt essential services like electricity, transportation, and even water supply.

   Spread of Misinformation: Computers (internet) can cause the rapid spread of misinformation and fake news, which can lead to real-world harm and societal unrest. This is the main reason Elon Musk is on record for why he bought Twitter, to stop the spread of misinformation and stop the “silencing” of people who didn’t agree with said misinformation.

   In summary, while computers have brought about significant safety improvements in communication, healthcare, and security, but they have also introduced new risks in the form of cyber threats, system vulnerabilities, and misinformation.

6. Engineers enhance the safety of cyber networks through multiple different ways:Implementing Good Security Protocols: This can include firewalls, detection systems to protect against “unwanted guests”, and encryptions to safeguard data and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.

   Regular Software Updates and Patch Management: Keeping software and operating systems up to date is very important when it comes to defending against newly discovered vulnerabilities and threats that the previous software/operating systems weren’t protected from before the update.

   Network Monitoring and Analysis: Engineers constantly monitor network traffic to detect and respond to suspicious activities, ensuring immediate action against potential threats.

   The overlap between criminal justice and cybercrime is significant and multifaceted:

   Law Enforcement and Legal Frameworks: Criminal justice provides the legal framework and enforcement to prosecute cybercrimes. It ensures that activities such as hacking, identity theft, and unauthorized data access are legally recognized as crimes and are penalized in the degree befitting the crime.

   Investigative Techniques: Criminal justice adopts various forensic and investigative techniques from cyber disciplines to trace, analyze, and understand cybercrimes, leading to effective prosecution and cyber-crime prevention strategies.

   This overlap definitely relates to other cyber disciplines in several ways:

   Data Protection and Privacy Laws: Cyber law, a branch of criminal justice, crosses with data protection, requiring compliance from businesses and organizations in their cybersecurity practices.

   Education and Awareness: Criminal justice and cybercrime studies often involve educating the public and businesses about the very nature of cyber threats and the importance of good cybersecurity measures.

   In summary, engineers enhance cyber network safety through technical means such as security protocols and network monitoring. The crossing of criminal justice and cybercrime highlights the legal and enforcement aspects of fighting cyber threats, involving everyone’s effort across various disciplines within the cyber world.

7. Cyber technology has significantly altered the dynamics between offenders and victims in the digital space. Here’s how:Anonymity and Reach: Cyber technology provides offenders with anonymity, making it difficult for victims and authorities to identify and track them. This anonymity also makes offenders more likely to continue, as they feel like direct consequences won’t come to their doorstep.

   New Forms of Crime: It has enabled new forms of criminal activities like cyberstalking, online harassment, identity theft, and phishing, which can be accessed remotely, often crossing the attacker’s country borders.

   Increased Vulnerability: Victims are often unaware of their vulnerability online. Personal information shared on social media or through other online platforms can be exploited by offenders.

   Psychological Impact: The impact on victims can be awful, including long-term psychological effects like anxiety and depression, especially in cases of cyber harassing or cyber stalking.

   Adaptive and Proactive Policymaking: Policies must be adaptable to the cyber landscape that is always evolving. This includes updating laws to cover new types of cybercrimes and ensuring that they are enforceable across different states or even countries.

   Public Awareness and Education: Educating the public about online safety, data privacy, and the risks associated with digital activities can help in reducing victimization.

   Investment in Predictive Technologies: Despite the limitations of predictive knowledge, investing in AI and machine learning can enhance the ability to detect and prevent cyber threats proactively.

   Global Cooperation: Cybercrimes are more than often not limited to the attackers State/Country borders, making international cooperation important for effective law enforcement and data sharing.

   While cyber technology poses unique challenges between offenders and victims, a more involved approach including updated policies, cooperation, technological advancements, and public education is essential for effective management of these challenges.