Journal Entry 2

Explain how the principles of science relate to cybersecurity

Scientific principles significantly influence the domain of cybersecurity. They offer a structure for grasping, reasoning about, and lessening the threats plaguing today’s information systems. At its most basic level, cybersecurity is a science. It uses the same method as any other scientific field, whether it’s biology, physics, psychology, or even rocket science. Cybersecurity professionals take it from the top, too, with the fundamental steps of the scientific method: observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, and analysis.Take, for example, the critical principle of empirical evidence, which is the very life force of cybersecurity. A measure installed to strengthen the security of an information system must be tested and validated through strict, not to say scientific, methods to ensure it works; and the system as a whole, similarly erected on the insecure foundation of the Internet, must itself be tested for measures both found and not found wanting. In addition, many of the techniques used in cybersecurity—like cryptography or algorithm development—are profoundly linked to basic principles in mathematics and logic. They draw on mathematical ideas in a fundamental way in the essence of how to carry out their work. In many respects, cybersecurity is all about the effective use of mathematical ideas to achieve what amounts to keeping secrets.

Journal Entry 3

A different way for investigators to understand breaches is to audit their significance and appearance over time. When are threats emerging? What time period is seeing not just the most breaches but the most successful ones? With that knowledge, investigators can better do what investigators do—correlate data. And if the results of those investigations give weight either to the shoddy practices of many a service provider or half-baked technological solutions, then what better use of language than to effect change? In addition, demographic details about the affected can aid researchers in evaluating breaches’ socio-economic impacts, particularly which populations are most harmed. This sort of analysis can help shape what recommendations to make for things like data protection laws and privacy regulations. The upside to all this is that the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (and its supporters) offers a very useful trove of information for anyone who wants to understand what’s going on in the hell of data breaches and how this affects individuals, on the one hand, and businesses and other affected organizations, on the other.

Journal Entry 4

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlines five levels of human motivation: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Each level can be examined through the lens of technology and my personal experiences. On the physiological level, technology furnishes absolutely vital tools for everyday life; indeed, it gives us essential devices and performs fundamental functions that keep us going from day to day. At the very least, it allows those basic functions of life to keep functioning. Indeed, I am not so sure anymore that life is any easier than it used to be, but it is indeed much, much faster.Cybersecurity measures highlight the safety level. Personal data protection is critical and ensures privacy, and the use of password managers and two-factor authentication is a good way to keep private what ought to be private. Personal data is something of a digital fingerprint, and cybersecurity measures like those aforementioned are almost like the “hand of the law” in the digital world. When it comes to love and belonging, social media like Instagram and Facebook are pretty great for helping me keep up with my friends and family. These platforms not only let me maintain relationships; they also let me build them. And even though they may seem a little cold and calculating at times, social media make me feel connected, like I’m part of something larger than myself. When we long for love and belonging, they fulfill the need to connect and feel part of community. I fulfill my esteem needs on platforms for professional networking, such as LinkedIn, where I can show my achievements and connect with peers. Doing so serves to increase my self-worth and enhance my recognition in the community of work that I consider mine. At last, self-actualization is achieved through online learning platforms like Coursera. There, I pursue courses and much more that align with my interests and career goals, allowing me to reach my full potential. Each of Maslow’s path-to-self-actualization is connected to my intense, lived, digital experiences. Technology plays a vital role in helping me fulfill the needs at the various levels of Maslow’s hierarchy.

Journal Entry 5

1. For Money -The most direct and appealing reason for cybercriminals to engage in illegal activities is financial gain. HP Threat Research provides some vivid examples of how this is so, where cybercriminals are often after money and choose mostly rational ways to acquire it.

2. Revenge- The thirst for vengeance, mentioned in the piece about victims of revenge porn in Wales, underscores an intensely private and emotional reason that can propel someone to carry out an electronic transgression. Individuals who seek revenge have their reasons, but the most common one is that the person feels (rightly or wrongly) that they’ve been wronged. And when you’ve been wronged, you’ll often do whatever it takes to seek redress.

3. Recognition- The pursuit of recognition ranks third, especially when it comes to DDoS attacks. Hackers are often after a level of public infamy or notoriety among their peers. That can result in a serious level of cyber instability.

4. Political -According to an article in the Economic Times, hacktivism is on the rise, and the specter of it highlights the way political motives can drive a certain kind of cybercrime. Hacktivism has too often been misunderstood as a kind of harmless prank, something perpetrated for the lulz, that is, for the pleasure of pulling off the stunt. But in truth, hacktivism has a class of its own that pushes the boundaries on the harm it can inflict and the good it can do.

5. Multiple Reasons -According to InfoSecurity Magazine, the most scrupulous training in crime solving still leads to many hackers being lumped into a general “criminal” category. In reality, the act of breaking into and manipulating computer systems is driven by so many different forces and personalities that anything but a close-up look at the scene will lead to a gross misunderstanding.

6. Entertainment -The piece about LinkedIn scraping underscores how some people commit cybercrime simply because it’s fun. “Hey, let’s steal some data while we’re at it—especially if it’s data as good as the kind LinkedIn has about its users!” And that seems troubling. Because in a way, it’s like having a bunch of little amusement parks that serve up ice cream inside—but this ice cream gets spun into useful intelligence.

7. Boredom- Finally, the least forceful and intense thing associated with cyberbullying and tutors in cyberspace is boredom. That is a mostly insubstantial, get-a-life kind of complaint.

Journal Entry 6

In the digital age, it is more important than ever to identify fake websites. This is especially true because misinformation and scams are so prevalent today. At a glance, a fake website might look legitimate, so it is important to know what to look for. First, pay attention to the URL. People who create fake websites want them to look as much like the real thing as possible. Often, they will use a URL with a misspelling. An actual Amazon site has a URL that begins with “https://.” That tells us that the website is secure and uses encryption, a way of transposing information so that only the right keys can decipher it, to maintain privacy between the user and the website. 

Journal Entry  8

Our comprehension of cybersecurity is strongly molded by the media, which directs public perception, awareness, and actions. The media—through its variety of outlets—draws attention to important topics, such as the latest hacking attempts, data breaches, or cutting-edge cyber threats. Still, while the media’s influence on our comprehension of these issues can be quite positive, it’s also sometimes a bit of a double-edged sword. The media is doing a good job of making people aware of the dangers in cybersecurity. When they cover big incidents, like a company getting hit with ransomware, it makes everyone really think about cybersecurity, including individuals and organizations. It also drives home the idea that we all need to be more careful. In terms of practical advice that people can use to make their cybersecurity better, the media tells us to use strong passwords, and to set up multi-factor authentication when available. They also remind us to be very careful with any emails that look the slightest bit suspicious. The media can distort perceptions, too, of course. Sensationalized reporting can exaggerate even our most common cybersecurity fears. When journalists overly dramatize a threat, they can throw the public into unnecessary panic. If you’re worried about how secure your online banking is, you’re probably not going to sleep all that well. Nonetheless, a few journalists have taken it upon themselves to make cybersecurity threats a little too convenient (or safe) to handle.

Journal Entry 9

I received a score of 5 on the Social Media Disorder Scale, denoting a moderate level of socially media-use-related problems. This score hints at several ways in which I can associate social media with a moderate level of negative impact on my life, like sometimes being too focused on how well I’m doing with it or, more often, not being very focused at all when I’m using it.The scale’s items are on point and hit close to home. They are about things we well might not be doing because we’re too busy being online—like being responsible (um, it’s kinda hard to be responsible when you’re in Instagram world), or being social in the actual world (withdrawal? more like “I’m still right here, but you can’t see my online self”). They’re also about things we might be arguing over with friends, family, or partners because someone is using too much and not being responsible (like I can be when I Snapchat in class). Across the world, the use of social media reveals a great many shades of cultural and socioeconomic difference. For example, in regions of the world where not only high technology but also a strong societal focus exists, we see a seamless integration of social media into daily life; on the other hand, technological impoverishment, by its very nature, restricts an excessive use of, or indeed an overreliance on, the medium.

Journal Entry 10 The text describes how adversaries use platforms for spreading lies, sowing distrust, and shaking up societies. The authors argue that countering this threat requires not just computer engineering but also social science. Their recommendations include making the technology better for influencing campaign monitoring and stiffening the public’s collective resilience with education.I really identify with this perspective because it emphasizes the junction of technology, psychology, and security. To think that social media could be used as a tool to sway our democratic processes is pretty scary. This makes the argument for addressing vulnerabilities in our social media systems all the more pressing. But the article also nudges us to consider the kinds of ethical trade-offs that need to be made for the innovations required to shore up those systems. Overall, this reflection makes me think about the appearance of the kinds of online spaces that are secure, trustworthy, and conducive to unfettered expression while also respecting the privacy rights of citizens.