Explain how your memes relate to Human-centered cybersecurity.

woman in white button up shirt holding silver iphone 6 (Ghen Mar Cuaño,2020)

When it comes to human-centered cybersecurity, promoting awareness when interacting with the internet is important in preventing common human errors when faced with deception. In this meme, I am depicting the excitement one may feel if one truly believed that a Nigerian prince’s scam email asking for money in return for their kingdom was true. It is important to be knowledgeable of these too-good-to-be-true scenarios when online.

person holding silver iphone 6 (Erik Mclean, 2020)

I created this meme to bring attention to how much information we put out onto the internet. Celebrities are commonly known to be stalked online and offline and tend to post their day-to-day lives for the public to see. This behavior can be very dangerous, regardless of public status. For example, posting information about not being home for a while may give someone with poor intentions an opportunity to break into your home while you are gone. It is common for fans to mindlessly engage in stalkerish behaviors towards their favorite celebrities, especially if the information is given freely online.

person sitting front of laptop (Christin Hume, 2018)

I created this meme to depict offensive online behaviors. It can be difficult to retain good conduct when in the heat of the moment, like in an intense video game. The internet creates a layer of anonymity that could entice someone to engage in cyber harassment as a way to cope.

citations

Mclean, E. (2020). person holding silver iphone 6. unsplash. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/person-holding-silver-iphone-6-BXiLSwwvqrY.

Hume, C. (2018). person sitting front of laptop. unsplash. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/person-sitting-front-of-laptop-mfB1B1s4sMc.

Mar Cuaño, G. (2020). woman in white button up shirt holding silver iphone 6. unsplash. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-in-white-button-up-shirt-holding-silver-iphone-6-R6dSBkz32B8.

Spotting Fake Websites

Oftentimes when navigating the internet, we are left with only our best judgment to mitigate malicious users from harming our systems and accessing our data unauthorized. One way that malicious users gain access to our systems is through the websites we connect to over the internet.

What are some telltale signs that a website is fake or suspicious?

1: An Invalid SSL Certificate or Insecure Error

(Fitzgerald, 2024)

Fitzgerald, A. (2024, January 5). A simple explanation of SSL Certificate Errors & How to fix them. HubSpot Blog. https://blog.hubspot.com/website/fix-ssl-certificate-error

When accessing a fake website, you can expect to come across an error that warns the users of its invalid SSL Certificate and that the connection to the website is not encrypted; leaving the connected computer vulnerable to a middleman hacker.

A trustworthy site (in our example the Old Dominion student portal) displays a secure connection and a valid certificate of authenticity.

2: A Lack of Contact Information

When visiting online shops, it is a good decision to check if the site owner has left any contact information or an About page. The website I have in this example was actually removed and only snapshots are available through the online WaybackMachine.

Amazon being a well-known and trusted site has many links to get in contact with various teams throughout the business.

3: Often Originate from Spam Emails or Strange URLs

(Woods, unsecure)

Another way a malicious user can get you to access a fake website is through phishing emails and asking for account and billing information.

Phishing link and URL checker. EasyDMARC. (n.d.). https://easydmarc.com/tools/phishing-url

When in doubt, search the internet for any suspicious connections to the URL.

Review the articles linked with each individual motive in the presentation page or Slide #4.  Rank the motives from 1 to 7 as the motives that you think make the most sense (being 1) to the least sense (being 7).  Explain why you rank each motive the way you rank it.

Boredom 7

Ranking the common motives for cyber criminal activity, I have found that “Boredom” as a motivation for committing an offense as the least sensical motive. To be bored seems contradictory to motivation. To commit a crime (especially a cyber crime), it would usually take a well thought out plan or in the heat of passion.

Entertainment 6

Entertainment would be a slightly more convincing motive as an individual may want to experience a sense of power knowing that they could commit a crime if they wanted to. However, committing a cyber crime would take careful work and determination. Assuming the individual understands right from wrong, the consequences would not seem worthwhile to even attempt an offense.

Recognition 5

Recognition could also reward an individual with a sense of power and want may want to be recognized for their feat. I could not imagine recognition being a strong enough motivation as gaining recognition online can come from non illegal acts. I would also imagine that an individual who wants recognition would not want to be hidden as the internet grants easier anonymity.

Money 4

Financial motivation from cyber crime seems a lot more convincing as the reach, speed and anonymity the internet grants online scammers and thieves is unparalleled in comparison to traditional in-person crimes. Stealing money from someone online is a lot sneakier that doing it in person.

Revenge 3

Committing a cybercrime for revenge is convincing in that the internet maximizes some aspects. A cyber attack can cause damage to a victim’s reputation faster and to a wider audience. Crimes on the internet are also harder to detect the offender. Acts of revenge seem to be more in the heat of passion and impulsive.

Political 2

Political control is a sensical motivation as controlling politics can change how a nation operates. As we have seen in the past few years of hacktivists attacking political parties and nations they do not agree with, such as Ukrainian nuclear plants during the Russia-Ukraine war (Santora, 2022), and the Stuxnet attack by the US Government (Fruhlinger, 2022).

Multiple Reasons 1

I often dislike attributing any one event to a single cause. There are multiple factors that are likely a part of why an individual would commit an act that holds criminal charges. The internet grants an easier way to reach and expose victims from farther away and in large quantities. Someone who understands how to operate computers for malicious purposes at a higher level may be motivated by that power and try to reason utilizing it for selfish reasons; such as money or hurting someone’s reputation.

Citations

Santora, M. (2022, August 16). The operator of Ukraine’s nuclear plants says it faced an ambitious cyberattack. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/world/europe/the-operator-of-ukraines-nuclear-plants-says-it-faced-an-ambitious-cyberattack.html

Fruhlinger, J. (2022, August 31). Stuxnet explained: The first known cyberweapon. CSO Online. https://www.csoonline.com/article/562691/stuxnet-explained-the-first-known-cyberweapon.html#:~:text=Stuxnet%20is%20a%20powerful%20computer,about%20its%20design%20and%20purpose.

Review Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and explain how each level relates to your experiences with technology. Give specific examples of how your digital experiences relate to each level of need.

Maslow, A. (n.d.). Hierarchy of Needs. Peakframeworks. https://www.peakframeworks.com/post/maslows-hierarchy

Over the years the internet has expanded into fulfilling many human needs. From ordering food, connecting with friends around the world to working from home, the internet offers an experience that allows individuals to experience the world from home. Although not an exact representation of the world, what exactly has the internet been fulfilling in terms of real world needs? Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs offers a hierarchical way of viewing human needs; from basic needs to self fulling needs that keeps humans motivated.

Physiological needs

In terms of basic needs, the internet has provided me ways to order products and food online. The most notable sites I use are Amazon and Doordash. Technically the internet can also provide a place for rest by reserving a hotel online.

Safety Needs

The internet allows for anonymity in which individuals can practice free speech without in-person confrontation. My home currently has an internet connected security system that alerts the authorities in a serious situation.

Belongingness

Although personally I don’t enjoy using social media for anything other than mindless scrolling, social media platform help me with connecting with old friends many miles away.

Esteem needs

The internet helps me feel achieved by allowing my works to be shared with friends and strangers that support it. I also feel achievement through online games.

Self-Actualization

The internet helps users create experiences from the comfort of their home. Technology has helped me develop a love for programming, digital art and music. I never feel lost knowing that the right answer can more than likely be found on the internet.

Visit PrivacyRights.org to see the types of publicly available information about data breaches. How might researchers use this information to study breaches? Enter a paragraph in your journal.

PrivacyRights.org provides numerous options to receive and share information on privacy and data breaches. The site sorts itself and necessary information into differing sectors of cybersecurity: Personal, Education, Health etc. Those looking to learn from the resources on the site are able to find the current news on ongoing data breaches and yearly reports. The website also offers information on legal updates in regards to how their privacy on the internet will be protected. Researchers may find themselves able to find the most common types of data breaches and the best ways to respond to them by utilizing the information on the website.

Explain how the principles of the Social sciences relate to Cybersecurity.

There are numerous parallels between the disciplines of science and Cybersecurity. Cyberspace has offered a new landscape in which humanity conducts business and socialize; all from behind their computer screens. These great advances however require professional strategies to protect its users from cyber threats. How can we relate social science principles to cyberspace and the efforts to create a more secure environment for its users?

Relativism

Relativism acknowledges that there is a general cause-and-effect for why events occur. The world of cyber technology has expanded into many aspects of life and is always advancing to keep up with social demands and fending off cyber threats. It would be irresponsible to not consider the events that led up to a cyber attack when looking to prevent future attacks. Relating events in the cyberworld to the events that took place in the real world is necessary.

Objectivity

When conducting any scientific or law enforcing procedures, it is best to proceed in an objective based manner. Relying on guesses or anecdotes will impede the accuracy of resolving conflicts. Cybersecurity requires a level of professionalism to accurately resolve cyber attacks.

Parsimony

Parsimony aims to keep explanations simple. Keeping explanations simple reduces the possibility of miscommunications between professionals. Discussions relating to technology can become complex for users. Cybersecurity is not only the responsibility of professionals, but also the responsibility of the users. Keeping explanations of how attacks occur and how to defend oneself simple, improves user adherence to proper cybersecurity behaviors.

Empiricism

Empiricism aims to improve the credibility of scientific procedures by minimizing the use of opinions and hunches. There are many social elements that are hidden when operating on the internet; body language for example. In terms of cybersecurity it is best to stay objective and work with the facts given without opinions to impede the credibility of the procedure.

Ethical Neutrality

Ethical neutrality aims to respect the rights and dignity of the users. The discussion of internet neutrality is big concern; especially pertaining to the use of censorship on social media. In terms of cybersecurity, we can ask: how can we minimize cyber crime without infringing on constitutional freedoms of the users?

Determinism

Determinism aims to offer an explanation for why an event may occur. Determinism is similar to how “Laws” are created in the field of science; we want to minimize the amount of context we have to explain to speed up the process of finding an answer. In terms of cybersecurity, having a solid baseline of how systems work or how network communications work improves efficiency of responding and resolving a cyber threat.

Review the NICE Workforce Framework. Are there certain areas that you would want to focus your career on? Explain which areas would appeal the most to you and which would appeal the least.

When it comes to cybersecurity, I find data collection and analysis appealing. I naturally want to look into law enforcement and other investigative positions. Reviewing the NICE framework: Threat analysis looks appealing in that it focuses on the analysis of the capabilities of cyber threats and foreign intelligence. I often ask myself “What if” when learning new pieces of information and like to figure out the potential of it. Digital forensics is a similar matter. I grew up messing around with data, modifying devices, and figuring out more than one way to gather information.

The least appealing area to me would be customer service and technical support. I love helping those around me when having a technical issue; however, there is often a barrier of understanding that I notice, especially with the older generation. I wish to do whatever I can, but will hopefully avoid making it a main focus.