Journal Entry 1

After examining some of the specialized career options in cybersecurity, I found one I would want to focus on. Protection and Defense focuses on the possible threats to a system or a network. More specifically how to protect against threats and prevent them from happening. Although protection and defense are tied to preventing an incident from happening, they also involve cleaning up the “mess” made if one were to occur. In this specialization, I would be able to use various methods to protect information systems. As someone who would like to work for the government or a private sector company, it would be essential for me to have strong capabilities in risk management and detection. None of the areas appeal to me at a low level as I believe they all play a role in protecting information systems and the networks they run on.

Journal Entry 2

The ideas of science can be applied to cybersecurity in different aspects. Objectivity comes into play when analyzing data. The findings in cybersecurity should be presented in an opinion-free manner. This promotes transparency in the field. Parsimony is a very important aspect of science. The idea of parsimony is that explanations are as simple as possible. This is essential in cybersecurity because of the different groups that may need to be communicated with. Someone who is not well-versed with technology needs explanations to be easily understandable. Empiricism states that only things that are real to the senses. Although not everything related to cybersecurity is physical, it should be tangible enough to be researched. Ethical neutrality is another big one. Research conducted should not infringe upon the rights of those being studied. This is important when considering what is right and wrong with internet use. Determinism states that behavior is caused by previous events. In cybersecurity, this idea can be used to study cybercrime. It gives a basis for understanding why people commit crimes.

Journal Entry 3

PrivacyRights.org provides information about the types of data breaches that have occurred and what types of organizations have been targeted. Researchers can benefit in numerous ways from this information. Knowing the most used method can help researchers formulate policies and guidelines to protect against the more frequent ones. For example, system hacking is the most common form of data breach. This brings awareness to the situation and raises an alarm for companies to patch weak points in their system. Healthcare organizations are targeted most often by attackers. This is because healthcare is the most lucrative. Studying this phenomenon should clue researchers into the need for protecting such organizations.

Journal Entry 4

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is broken down into three different categories with five different subcategories. Some subcategories are related to multiple main categories. Self-fulfillment needs, psychological needs, and basic needs are the three main types. Those three are broken down further into self-actualization, esteem needs, belongingness and love needs, safety needs, and physiological needs. Self-actualization deals with achieving one’s full potential and creativity. In my experience, the use of technology has given me avenues to use my music creativity. Music writing software like MuseScore and Sibelius allows me to write out the notes and rhythms I hum to myself. Esteem needs are about feeling accomplished. With most of my assignments being submitted online, I feel accomplished seeing the finished product on my computer screen. Belongingness and love needs are about meaningful relationships. Key members of my family like my brother no longer live within driving distance. Phone technology allows me to stay in contact and maintain a connection. My long-distance romantic relationship is maintained almost exclusively by FaceTime while the college semester is in. I can use technology to fulfill my safety needs by researching information. Staying up-to-date on the most recent threats helps me feel like I can prepare. Physiological needs are things like food, water, and rest. Technically speaking using technology can help me rest by setting reminders about screen time and alarms to maintain my sleep schedule. I can also use technology to order food and have it delivered without leaving my home.

Journal Entry 5

Motives for cybercrime differ from person to person. In my opinion, some make sense more than others. Revenge, money, politics, recognition, entertainment, and boredom are some of the reasons hacking occurs. I rank them in this order based on what makes the most logical sense to me. Revenge, simply put, is a great motivator. Someone who has been personally affected by someone or something could use hacking to hurt them in the places that hurt the most. A need for money can also drive someone to use their skills for the harm of others. Someone without conventional means to provide for their family can become a black-hat hackers. I say need because stealing money without necessity qualifies as boredom in my book. Politics can divide a nation. Some feel so strongly about their opinions that they use technology to push their ideas or slander the ideas of the opposing side. Hacking for recognition could stem from a poor social life and or upbringing. Stereotypically, hackers are depicted as loners who don’t socialize. While not realistic, these types of people do exist. Entertainment and boredom go hand and hand for me. Someone bored will hack for their entertainment. Whether they get a kick from seeing others in shambles or they want to test their skills this type of hacking makes the least amount of sense to me. Realistically, I see hackers using a combination of the first three as motivation.

Journal Entry 6

When comparing fake websites to real websites experienced criminals can make it difficult to tell the difference. Three things to look out for are unusual domain names, spelling and grammar errors, and poor website design. Many of the spam emails I receive have links to obviously fake websites. It is common for emails to be formatted with emojis that are uncommon to the authentic version. For example, fake UPS emails use a lot of mail-related emojis to come off as trustworthy. All of the real emails I have received from UPS exclude emojis. The attachments in most of these emails show a website that has the incorrect logo of the company they are trying to portray. This makes it easy to identify as fishy. The same can be said for fake CashApp and jeweler websites. Most authentic websites do not use emojis in their titles.

Journal Entry 7

In terms of human systems integration, this meme highlights how daunting an experience it can be for users that are not technologically savvy. Human systems integration focuses on maintaining interfaces between humans and technology. Specifically providing a comprehensive design and format for user interaction. What some may consider easy to navigate may not be the same for others. Steps are take to ensure that all users are able to use interfaces.

Journal Entry 8

Hollywood plays a major factor in how cybersecurity and technology are perceived. Many action television shows and movies include hacking in them. Some do a better job than others at representing realistic situations. There are instances where technical language is used to make it seem like the show knows what it is talking about. In the video, most of the jargon used had some realism. Many of the examples were ranked high because of the lengths the writers went to produce realistic scenes. The majority of the points that were lost were due to the presence of minor inaccuracies. In the “Skyfall” scene, the biggest mistake was the way the code was depicted. It was shown as if it were a 3D cloud of information. Though minor, some without knowledge of the are may believe what they are seeing is accurate. The general viewer may have different expectations for what goes on in the cybersecurity world.

Journal Entry 9

My score on the social media disorder scale was one, meaning I have a normal SMU. The items in the scale aim to highlight negative behaviors associated with social media use. The items range from using social media as a coping mechanism, to severe addiction. Many of the items on the list indicate an addiction in my opinion. Two or three could be justified by other means in certain instances. Items four, five, and eight could be true for a majority of social media users at some point in time. That said, I do not believe those three automatically indicate an issue. Different countries and cultures view social media in different ways. Countries like the U.S. have a higher SMU than that of Belgium and Japan.

Journal Entry 10

Social cybersecurity is a subdomain of national security that is becoming more of a need. Many areas are affected by technology. The use of computer technology is now shaping human behavior, social interaction, culture, and political affairs. Technology is playing a crucial role in information warfare. Information can be used as leverage to extend a country’s national power. National power is used in a warring aspect to gain an advantage over competing countries. A nation’s narrative and power are strengthened when they attack, distort, and divide the society of another country. The goal of this type of warfare is to “hack” the people of another nation. Social cybersecurity protects people from the harmful uses of technology.

Journal Entry 11

When people think of a cybersecurity analyst, technical skills, more than likely, come to mind first. The numerous social skills that are needed to be a cybersecurity analyst are subtly mentioned throughout the presentation. Such professionals need to have great communication, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. When writing reports, analysts need to be able to convey their findings to different audiences that have varied knowledge of the concepts being presented. It is not enough for an analyst to only point out issues. They need to be able to think about ways to solve said issues. Most analysts do not act alone. Analytic teams are often used, so teamwork and communication play a factor here. The duties of a cybersecurity analyst are not all-inclusive in the job title. Organizations differ in the exact responsibilities assigned to their analysts. For this reason, an analyst must also be flexible.