Cybersecurity and technology society

Course Description

Students will explore how technology is related to cybersecurity from an interdisciplinary orientation.  Attention is given to the way that technologically-driven cybersecurity issues are connected to cultural, political, legal, ethical, and business domains.

~Entry Post~

Entry 1 Why I’m interested in Cybersecurity technology?

Experience. all-around options. higher pay. What’s not to like? Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary field that offers so many new opportunities that are extremely beneficial in everyday life. I originally intended on my path in theater, as I was very involved in high school musicals and outside productions, However, I entered college as an undecided major not knowing exactly what I wanted to do later in life, but I strived to choose a major that would be helpful to others, meaningful to me, and would open windows of opportunities. After reviewing the various majors I settled on cybersecurity. My father is my main inspiration through my journey because he is big into the evolution of technology and has persuaded me to explore cybersecurity technology. I honestly know very little about computers and I have little to no experience in the cybersecurity field but computers are evolving more and more each day especially with the development of AI and with that, comes bigger threats and higher risks just from browsing the internet. So It’s also a high-demand field that will never stop growing and why not take advantage of them?

Another reason why I’m interested in cybersecurity technology is because of how I operate. I’m a problem solver, I like to analyze things, and I like to learn how things function and no other majors match me like Cybersecurity. As I’ve mentioned before cybersecurity offers a plethora of careers and jobs and some careers I’m looking forward to learning about this semester are Digital Forensics, cryptography, and Cyberlaw. I’ve always been drawn to Criminal Justice careers with influences like “Law and Order”and “911”, the digital forensics teams seem so cool and coding is the language of the future and will be so captivating to learn, these jobs sound so fascinating to me. I’m super excited for the many semesters to come, I can’t wait to open the doors of cybersecurity technology!

Entry 2 Relevant ODU majors related to cybersecurity

The beauty of cybersecurity is that it’s applied and operated in a multitude of studies. You may think that cybersecurity is only applied to the expected majors surrounding computers like engineering or computer science. However, cybersecurity is used in fields you might not expect like

• Marketing- In the marketing world, nothing is more important than internet privacy. Digital Marketing is exclusively driven by technology in careers like media influencer and Public relations. Cybersecurity provides a shield against potential leaks of confidential information. The release of a customer’s private data can severely damage a marketing company’s reputation and ultimately destroy it. So protection from potential threats is a must.
• Counseling– Another field that deals with private customer information. Customer conditionality is the most important thing in counseling and the majority of information about a patient is on computers and from my mom’s personal experience, on pretty outdated software. So their software must be protected to ultimately protect their patients.
• Business– Businesses benefit greatly from cybersecurity, especially with the developments of shopping apps and online shopping. Payments are frequently made online so businesses need to not only secure their databases but to protect any digital information, their employees, their customers, and their products.
• Finance/Accounting- Online banks are the new thing. Customers use banking apps to not only secure their money but also to make payments and obtain paychecks. Customers put all their trust in not only the employees but also in the security of the app to holds very delicate information. Scam callers have always been on the rise lately with no criminal action able to be taken. So to completely avoid this threat, we must protect.

In conclusion, securing our software through multiple majors is super important and beneficial for success in fields like business, financing, counseling, and marketing and many more!

Entry 3 Describe four ethical issues that arise when storing electronic information about individuals.

Im sorry Im so confused on this one.

Entry 4 Cyber risks in the U.S compared to China

It is known that our biggest competitor in cybersecurity is China. China is known for its advanced technology its outstanding industrialized society, and large population. Though the U.S is the number one country in the Cybersecurity field, However because of our with history with China, they are viewed as a threat to the United States and it is heavily influenced us that China is the enemy, Its heavily publicized that China is linked in many cyber attacks against the U.S even know, U.S officials are against the app TikTok because its originally operation in China.

“China probably currently represents the broadest, most active, and persistent cyber espionage threat to U.S. Government and private-sector networks.”

“China Cyber Threat Overview and Advisorie.” CISA.Gov, www.cisa.gov/topics/cyber-threats-and-advisories/advanced-persistent-threats/china

Media manipulates how we view topics especially controversial ones like this. Furthermore it is not my goal to bash and burred China’s attacks against us. My goal is to compare China’s threats to the U.S however recent U.S media is somehow ignorant to if there are cyber threats that China is facing which could greatly benefit us in the long run. According to The University of San Diego, In 2021 the U.S experienced “the most data breaches with 212.4 million affected” Comparing to China’s data breaches in the same year, 12.9 million people were affected. Further research shows that in a similar fashion, when these attacks happen, they mostly target large businesses or large online organizations like Yahoo!, Twitter, Facebook, etc. It is extraordinary to see it reach such high numbers for both countries. When we compare their security according to EU Cyber Direct, China’s Cyber security has branched off and cooperated with other countries like Africa, South America, central and Southeast Asia. Also they are “improving their crisis management, enhancing information-sharing capacities, cyber defense personnel training.” The U.S’s resilience has gradually improved since 2021-“a top priority, strengthening our capability, readiness, and resilience in cyberspace.”

Entry 5 Legal Ways to make money Though Cybersecurity

C- Create security programs for organizations

Y- Youtube channel about your experience

B- Build programs and websites

E- Engineering hardware and software

R- Redesign frameworks

S- Shield networks from cyber risks (viruses, hackers, etc.)

E- Educate others on how to protect their systems

C- Computer forensics

U- Upgrade old systems to updated systems

R- Research work

I- IT work/ Fixing company computer issues

T- Trading in cybersecurity stocks

Y- Yearn to display effective precautions to companies

Entry 6 How has cyber technology created opportunities for workplace deviance?

Cyber technology for a company is an excellent essential for protecting their employees, their customers, and their systems. However companies are faces with external cyber threats and internal organized crime. Workplace deviance is any employee’s behavior that are against company norms. Cyber technology deviance can be an employee on their phone on the clock(excessive personal use if the intent); however it is very damaging to a company in the long run. Deviance is not only damaging to an employees reputation but a companies as well. Furthermore it can harm a company financially. Examples of known employee cyber include Unauthorized Access, Misuse of information, and inappropriate use of Company resources. A realistic reason to why cyber technology creates these issues is because it’s easy. Employees when hired are mostly trusted and aren’t monitored correctly or as often, It could be for fun, their own financial gain, or poor communication. An effective way to stop cyber employee deviancy is to develop stronger/secure access to certain information or authorization viewing walls while employees are online so they are only on networks that need for their particular job. These methods develop a stricter work environment however it guarantees the companies safety from their employees and outside offenses.

“Employee deviance is less devastating than cybercrime, but the cumulative effect of lower-grade cyber misconduct can still adversely impact the financial and operational success of an organization. Employee deviance in cyberspace encompasses behaviors that violate company rules, norms, or expectations, usually resulting in harm to the organization or its members.”

Jones, John W. “Employee Cybercrime and Deviance: A Loss Prevention Psychology Perspective.” Lossprevetionmedia, 21 Nov. 2023, losspreventionmedia.com/employee-cybercrime-and-deviance-a-loss-prevention-psychology-perspective/#:~:text=Some%20common%20forms%20of%20employee,company%20information%20for%20personal%20gain.

Entry 7 What are the costs and benefits of developing cybersecurity programs in business?

Cybersecurity is important when operating any devices, however it’s essential for companies and businesses. Businesses have a responsibility to ensure their computer securities and networks are secure, not only that they need to protect their patrons and employees as well. Furthermore; Cybersecurity programs are extremely beneficial to all businesses because they offer greater job opportunities and offer customer protection. however really the only cost would be the cost of the technology itself.

Benefits:

• Greater job opportunities- Cybersecurity is an already an in demand field so having cybersecurity programs in a business setting would open up so many jobs that can simultaneously improve a company security. For example IT jobs as well as cybersecurity analyst jobs can open up.

• Customer Protection- A data breach can severally damage a companies reputation. Investing into cybersecurity programs can not only protect the company but its customers too. Which can above all gain the trust of potential clients, potential partners, and stallholders. Maintaining a reputation can overall benefit a business and increase profits. 

Costs: 

• Training cost- Employees need to be trained on the best cybersecurity practices, which requires time and money. Also investing in the proper professionals to train the employees can be costly as well. It can cost over a hundred dollars per person and these programs take up to six to ten months. 

• Overall investments- Implementing, Maintaining, and updating these programs to keep them at the up best standards can be expensive. Furthermore companies may need to invest more into cybersecurity to further push away cyber risks.

In conclusion Cybersecurity programs have outstanding benefits for companies like greater job opportunities, and customer protection. However these programs cost money, which included training cost and the overall investments. However if they don’t have these programs then a company can be put in a greater financial strain. 

Entry 8 How can you tell if your computer is safe?

Ensuring your computers safety is the up most priority, especially when its perpetually used in our everyday society. You can tell a computer is safe by having secure passwords, constant data backups, and firewall protection. 

Proper authentication- Authentication is the process of Identifying a user before giving them access to data or a system. For example face ID’s or a strong password. A multi-factor authentication is a more secure way of authentication. It rewards higher confidentiality. An example: When you forget your password there’s a randomly generated code that is only accessible through a certain device and used to log into that account. In a more business setting role- bases access control can be more effective. A role- based access control is an improved method of access control, RBAC assigns roles to users and only having access to those specific roles. This allows easier management from administration and Improves the security.

back up data- The point of a back-up is a good way to keep the system safe in case of corruption.The components of a good back up plan is a full understanding of the company systems, a regular backup of all data, an offsite backup storage site, and a testing of data restoration.

firewalls- The essential function of cybersecurity is effective privacy and a favored way to achieve maximum seclusion online is to use a framework. A Framework is a system of guidelines, standards, and best practices to manage potential risks that come from being online. It’s a software that helps reduce cyber risks. Frameworks can be used in a multitude of areas like banking and electrical health and are used all over the world. An example of a well- rounded framework that is successfully used in the community is NIST’s (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Cybersecurity Framework. NIST’s framework has five main activities, “Identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover.” These activities all work together to ensure the utmost protection. Identify is a function that helps the user understand the risks in the system, the data, and their capabilities. Also the business aspect of the system and the people involved relating to the cyber systems. The protection function is used to aid the software in delivering the essential safety measures when a cyber threat is detected.The detect function is used to appropriately identify the occurrence of a cyber threat in quick time and acknowledge the proper action to rid of the threat. When encountering a cybersecurity threat, how you respond is extremely important, So the response function is used to aid in taking the proper actions when reacting to a cyber attack. Finally, the recovery software identifies the proper plan to maintain a successful safety plan and to recuperate from any conflicts resulting from a cyber attack. There are two variations of firewalls hardware and software. A Hardware firewall is a physical device that is connected to the network and goes through the system’s packets based on a set of rules. A Software firewall runs through the system and intercepts packets as they enter the computer.

Entry 9 Describe three ways that computers have made the world safer and less safe.

In our current society, it’s clear to see that technology revolves around us. However, as technology evolves, there’s a constant debate if computers and technology are more dangerous rather than beneficial.

Safer 

1- Security purposes – Surveillance systems and alarm systems are in homes around the world that help alert homeowners if there is any criminal activity in or around the house. It eases homeowners’ minds to know there is a deterrent to criminal activities. Systems like this require high technology like recording systems(for long periods) and alarms. Emergency response 

2- Health Purposes – In the medical setting. Computers have become very dependable because that’s how patient data is updated and secured. Electric Health Record(EHR) is the baseline of modern medical and healthcare facilities. These systems aid physicians with “storing patient medical records, medical history, treatment plans, test results, and many more” (Tangent)

3- Transportation safety– Computer systems are really important to modern transportation safety. For example Air traffic control systems for airplanes and Traffic management for cars. Furthermore with modern car models, you can lock, unlock, and start your car from your phone. These can help prevent accidents and increase security.

Less safe 

1- Cyber vulnerabilities – As the reliance of computers grow, so does the risks of cyberattacks. Social media for example, we put an unreasonable amount of personal information online, putting full reliability into the app. However, in reality computers are vulnerable to various forms of malware, viruses, and hacking techniques. Cybercriminals use these to their advantage to steal personal information and data. 

2- Privacy concerns – A computers vulnerabilities can also cause privacy concerns through out the internet. As explained before, the amount of information we put on the internet is mind blowing. Advancements in authorization like location tracking, facial recognition, and data analytics, we wonder if the government or corporations are constantly monitoring our activities and behaviors. For what we will never know.

Entry 10 How do engineers make cyber networks safer?

As mentioned many times in the class, technological safety is a top priority in companies and everyday life. There are many occupations that assist with the further protections of these systems with methods of encryption, security awareness training, and Frameworks.

Encryption- The purpose of encryption is to encode data so it can be transmitted or stored to only authorized individuals. First you have to encode the data’s plain text to be transmitted which is achieved by computer programming. Then the authorized individual receives the text and decodes it, to achieve this both parties need to agree on similar methods of encoding for it to be communicated properly. which only then both parties can communicate back and forth, encoding and decoding each others messages 

Security awareness training- In businesses, engineers can conduct awareness training to educate employees about the potential threats, the best practices for data protection, and how to recognize and respond to attacks. Which overall benefits the entire company.

Frameworks- The essential function of cybersecurity is effective privacy and a favored way to achieve maximum seclusion online is to use a framework. A Framework is a system of guidelines, standards, and best practices to manage potential risks that come from being online. It’s a software that helps reduce cyber risks. Frameworks can be used in a multitude of areas like banking and electrical health and are used all over the world. An example of a well- rounded framework that is successfully used in the community is NIST’s (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Cybersecurity Framework. NIST’s framework has five main activities, “Identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover.” These activities all work together to ensure the utmost protection. Identify is a function that helps the user understand the risks in the system, the data, and their capabilities. Also the business aspect of the system and the people involved relating to the cyber systems. The protection function is used to aid the software in delivering the essential safety measures when a cyber threat is detected.The detect function is used to appropriately identify the occurrence of a cyber threat in quick time and acknowledge the proper action to rid of the threat. When encountering a cybersecurity threat, how you respond is extremely important, So the response function is used to aid in taking the proper actions when reacting to a cyber attack. Finally, the recovery software identifies the proper plan to maintain a successful safety plan and to recuperate from any conflicts resulting from a cyber attack.

Entry 11 What is the overlap between criminal justice and cybercrime? How does this overlap relate to the other disciplines discussed in this class?

Criminal Justice is the structure of laws and rules designed to protect victims and citizens and hold criminals accountable for their actions. Cybercrime is the action of criminal activity on computers and the internet. Both of these go hand and hand in our society. Helping with the investigation and prevention of future cybercrimes. A way these subjects overlap is Criminology. Criminology is the study of a criminal’s human factors. Human factors refer to a person’s psychology, limitations, and behaviors, Which for criminal justice,  is key to figuring out why people commit crimes, specifically cybercrimes. Criminology can guide us and help us realize the patterns and characteristics of a cybercriminal. This overlap relates to different criminologist theories and cyber victimization. Multiple theories support cybercrime however the most popular one is the Neutralization theory. Developed by Sykes and Matza, This theory explains how criminals commit activities and avoid responsibility for their actions. Components include denial of injury, Denial of the victim, and denial of responsibility. According to the article “Cybersecurity and Criminal Justice: Exploring the Intersections” researchers found that denial of responsibility is connected to crimes like pirating. Another relevant theory to cybercrimes is self-control theory. Self-control theory explains that the less control a person has over a situation the more criminal activity they will commit. Further research shows that a lack of self-control can result in crimes like severe cyberbullying. The final popular theory relevant to the overlap of cybercrime and criminal justice is the Learning theory. This supports the fact that criminals learn crime through their interaction with society and meaningful institutions. An example of this could be how people are convinced and learn from books and media to view their opinions, that’s how cults and terrorist groups are formed and grow.

Entry 12 How does cyber technology impact interactions between offenders and victims?

Cyber Technology has significantly altered the dynamics of interactions between cyber criminals and victims in various ways:

Cons

Cyber security Increases Access– Cyber criminals have easy access to potential victims through various online platforms, like instagram, discord, chat rooms, etc. These platforms expand the reach and leads targeted individuals right into their trap. 

Distance- Cyber technology enables cyber criminals to communicate with victims around the world regardless of geologic distance. They can still negatively affect a persons life remotely. furthermore making it difficult for law enforcement to track and apprehend them.

New forms of victimization- Cyber technology and social media has allowed an increase of cyber offense that can effect a victims live negatively like, cyber stalking, and victimization. Such as Cyber harassment, cyber stalking, scamming, etc. So that why, after further development, Social media has created policies and ways users can report these offenders so they can be kicked off the platform.

Pros 

Digital evidence- Cyber technology also provides opportunities for collecting digital evidence of crimes. In the position of a Digital Forensics Investigators. digital evidence is very important in pinpointing what happened, who done it, and why it happened.

Exploration of vulnerabilities- Offenders use technology vulnerabilities to their advantage in software, networks, and even devices to gain unauthorized access to personal data and or financial information. These infiltrations can lead to data breaches, hacking, and further online scams. However, cybersecurity specialists can blueprint what the issue is, how offenders got in, and learn from this vulnerabilities so it wont happen again.

In conclusion- Cyber technology has come along way and unfortunately that means cyber crimes have increase a significant amount without any modes to stop it. Cyber technology allows easy access, creates a helpful distance, and forms new victimizations.. However further down the road there has been developments that can decrease the issue or have more of these offenders caught. like digital evidence and the exploration of vulnerabilities in a system.

Entry 13 How should we approach the development of cyber-policy and -infrastructure given the “short arm” of predictive knowledge?

Navigating the “short arm” of predictive knowledge when it comes to developing cyber-policies and infrastructure. Which requires a proactive and adaptable approach to risk management, collaboration and information sharing, and workforce development.

Risk management- Recognize that the appearance of cyber threats is constantly evolving and instead of trying to diminish further threats, we should focus on building resilient systems and policies that can withhold potential risks. Implementing risk management frameworks that prioritize continuous monitoring, assessment, and response to cyber threats.

Regulating frameworks- The essential function of cybersecurity is effective privacy and a favored way to achieve maximum seclusion online is to use a framework. A Framework is a system of guidelines, standards, and best practices to manage potential risks that come from being online. It’s software that helps reduce cyber risks. Frameworks can be used in a multitude of areas like banking and electrical health and are used all over the world.

Work development- Investments in education and workplace development programs to further encourage a skillful cybersecurity workforce capable of addressing emerging challenges, Promoting cybersecurity awareness and digital safety, and furthermore pushing protective measures against cyber threats and keeping it simple so policies can change over time to accommodate for the upgrade in technology.

Flexibility and adaptabilities- Being accustomed to the cyber landscape can be externally helpful in designing future policies. In all fairness, I’m sure it’s difficult to create new and original policies but there are new and greater threats that need to be thwarted, so updating and upgrading old policies wouldn’t be much harm.

In conclusion- By adopting these approaches, policymakers can better navigate the uncertainties of technology and further aid the evolution of safe computers from any emerging attacks. Updating risk management, regulating frameworks, increasing work developments, and keeping policies flexible and adaptable will be a great start to future endeavors in cybersecurity.