Journal Entry #1 – 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.

Some areas I would want to focus on for my career would be oversight/governance and protection/defense. The ones that appeal to me the least would have to be design/development, and cyberspace effects. The reason why I would want to focus on oversight/governance is because I would want to be in a management position wherever I work at. For protection and defense, I would want to learn how and carry out defense mechanisms whenever there is an attack. The reason why design/development does not appeal to me as much is because I find it a lot harder to architect a software and it be able to be smoothly implemented. I do not find cyberspace effects appealing because they deal with more external business and I want to stay internal within a business/company.

Journal Entry #2 – Explain how the principles of science [Empiricism, Determinism, Parsimony, Objectivity etc.,] relate to cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity, like science, relies on key principles to stay effective. Empiricism means basing security decisions on real data, like analyzing cyber threats in action. Determinism helps predict attack patterns, making it easier to prevent breaches. Parsimony keeps security solutions simple and efficient which means there is no need for overcomplicated defenses. Objectivity ensures unbiased risk assessments, so decisions aren’t based on guesswork. Relativism reminds us that threats evolve, so security must adapt. Ethical neutrality helps balance privacy and security without bias. Skepticism encourages constant testing, never assuming a system is completely safe. Together, these principles make cybersecurity smarter, stronger, and more reliable.

Journal Entry #3 – 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.

Researchers can use PrivacyRights.org to track data breach trends, understand how they happen, and figure out ways to prevent them. By looking at what kinds of organizations get hacked, what data gets exposed, and how attackers break in, they can spot patterns and weak points. This information helps improve cybersecurity strategies and shape policies to protect people’s personal information. It also shows the real impact of breaches on individuals and businesses, making it easier to push for stronger security measures. Plus, researchers can see how well companies follow data protection laws after a breach. In the end, studying this data helps create better defenses against cyber threats and raises awareness about keeping personal data safe.

Journal Entry #4 – 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.

For my connections to the hierarchy triangle it connects in a few ways. For the general self-actualization needs, it helps me be able to do my school work and personal life work freely and creatively with ease. When it comes to the psychological needs, it helps me have the ability to connect with others that share the same interest as me. With that fact, it gives me the freedom to make friends that while being random, that are interested in similar things. Finally, when it comes to basic needs, it gives me a sense of comfort being online because it gives me an escape from the real world. Also, most things that I do nowadays involve the use of the internet so most of my safety is revolved around online safety. Through multiple passwords and two factor authentication, it gives me a sense of relief because I know that I am secure online.

Journal Entry #5 – 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. Entertainment, Political, Revenge, Boredom, Recognition, Money, Multiple Reasons.

My ranking would have to start at #1 being for money. I believe that the motive for most cybercriminals is money because there is a lot of things that a skilled hacker can do when it comes to money. My #2 ranking would be entertainment. The reason behind that would be that cybercriminals like seeing others in distress when it comes to the security of a device/devices. My #3 ranking would be political. Reason being is that some may want to sabotage another when it comes to politics so one side has an unfair advantage over the other. My #4 ranking would be revenge. Cybercriminals may get offended or hurt by others so the only way they can get back at them is through the cyber world. My #5 ranking would be recognition. Some may hack just to get their name out in the world so they can be put on a pedestal in society. My #6 ranking would be boredom. While this could be higher up, I believe that some cybercriminals aren’t completely driven by just boredom. My #7 ranking would be other reasons. There are many different reasons a person may want to commit a cyber crime but the other ones just have more sense to them. 

Journal Entry #6 – Can you spot three fake websites? [Refer Online Security Blogs, Public Awareness Sites, Academic Resources etc., and cite the source]. Compare the three fake websites to three real websites and highlight the features that identify them as fraudulent.

An article posted by PCMag gave me a few examples of fake links that scammers have created to phish information out of people. The first example is a fake PayPal link. The official link is paypal.com but the fake link could be something like pyapal.com. Some people that did not know better could have missed the letter swap very easily and been in trouble. The second example is a fake Facebook link. The official link is facebook.com while the fake link could be something like placebook.com. Some older folks might not even notice that there is anything wrong with the link. The final example I found was Amazon. The official link for the website is amazon.com but a very tricky scammer made a link that is arnazon.com. The very sneaky trick in this link is that the lowercase letters r and n can be combined to look like the letter m.

Journal Entry #7 – Review the following photos through a human-centered cybersecurity framework. Create a meme for your favorite three, explaining what is going on in the individual’s or individuals’ mind(s).

^ Me when I cannot remember my password because I am so secure. ^

Journal Entry #8 – Watch this video and pay attention to the way that movies distort hackers.
Hacker Rates 12 Hacking Scenes In Movies And TV | How Real Is It? – YouTube

The media can fool the average person with the actions they carry out in films, tv-shows, and videos online. Some movies will show a hacker breaking into a computer with a box that can obtain a password in an instant. This is very unrealistic and could probably never happen. The media uses wrong terminologies when talking about cybersecurity terms. There is a common theme when it comes to a scene in media where there is a 3D moving image of lines and other graphics that spin or move around. That is very exaggerated and does not really happen when someone opens a file. A lot of times, it shows how hackers can gain access or commit a cyber crime with ease. It is not as easy as it looks as there are many forms of software and applications that can prevent things from happening to begin with. The media misleads a lot of people when it comes to cybersecurity.

Journal Entry #9 – Watch this Video: Social media and cybersecurity. Complete the Social Media Disorder scale. How did you score? What do you think about the items in the scale? Why do you think that different patterns are found across the world?

I scored a 4 on this scale. My rating was placed in the “indicates risky usage.” I feel as this is somewhat true in my case. I do use the social media a lot but I make sure to not get too lost in it and overshare my personal life on it. When I do use social media, I’m more of a silent user. I just browse and consume media rather than doing that but also posting stuff for others to see. There are different patterns over the world due to access to the devices/internet and also some other cultures might not be fond of using technology as much as other parts of the world might. Some cultures may use it more and some may use it less. It really just depends on the location and what they have access to. Some parts of the world may use their technology for malicious intents while some may just be using it to enjoy their time. 

Journal Entry #10 – Read this article and write a journal entry summarizing your response to the article on social cybersecurity.

I find this article to be very important to read. It talks about how wars have changed significantly over time. In today’s world, wars are more about “information war.” Information wars can be things such as attackers spreading false information or real information to a society to make them divide themselves and basically start a civil war amongst themselves all because an outside source provided the information. I feel that it is unfortunately very affective and cybersecurity can mitigate these things by preventing this information from even reaching the wrongs hands to start with. Cybersecurity is one of the only fields that I think can stop these information wars.

Journal Entry #11 – Watch this video. As you watch the video , think about how the description of the cybersecurity analyst job relates to social behaviors. Write a paragraph describing social themes that arise in the presentation.

There are many things that fall into societal themes in this video. As a cybersecurity analyst, most companies want to find the “star candidate” that already has experience, yet it is only an entry level job. It may sound like it is impossible to get the job but it’s more about how you apply yourself to the specific position. Another theme would be the location of where you want to work. Certain states with ivy league schools may be harder to get a job because the people will those schools on their resumes may get a higher chance of being accepted because those schools are prestigious and look better.

Journal Entry #12 – Read this sample breach letter “SAMPLE DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION” and describe how two different economics theories and two different social sciences theories relate to the letter.

The Sample Data Breach Notification letter ties into both economic and social science theories. From a Marxian economics perspective, it shows how companies may prioritize profit and control over protecting consumer data, reinforcing power imbalances. Classical economic theory assumes businesses act rationally in free markets, but the delayed notification challenges this, without regulation, companies might not act in the best interest of the public. On the social side, Conflict Theory helps explain how power is unequally distributed. The company controls both the data and the timing of the information, while customers are left vulnerable. Neutralization Theory also comes into play; they shift the blame to law enforcement to reduce accountability. Altogether, the letter reveals how economic motivations and social power dynamics shape how companies respond to data breaches—and how that response can affect public trust.

Journal Entry #13 – A later module addresses cybersecurity policy through a social science framework. At this point, attention can be drawn to one type of policy, known as bug bounty policies. These policies pay individuals for identifying vulnerabilities in a company’s cyber infrastructure. To identify the vulnerabilities, ethical hackers are invited to try explore the cyber infrastructure using their penetration testing skills. The policies relate to economics in that they are based on cost/benefits principles. Read this article and write a summary reaction to the use of the policies in your journal. Focus primarily on the literature review and the discussion of the findings.

After reading the article on bug bounty programs (BBPs), I found the discussion around their cost-benefit approach really interesting. The literature review points out that these programs can save companies money by crowdsourcing cybersecurity work, but they also bring challenges like handling duplicate reports and making sure the submissions are actually helpful. What stood out most in the findings was the importance of offering the right incentives. If bounties are too low, skilled hackers won’t bother; too high, and it becomes unsustainable. I liked that the authors stressed BBPs should support, not replace, internal security teams. It’s a reminder that even smart, cost-effective solutions still need structure and oversight. Overall, BBPs seem like a smart policy tool, but they clearly work best when thoughtfully managed. It was helpful to see a real example of how cybersecurity and economic thinking overlap in practice.

Journal Entry #14 – Andriy Slynchuk has described eleven things internet users do that may be illegal. Review what the author says and write a paragraph describing the five most serious violations and why you think those offenses are serious.

Using Unofficial Streaming Services: Accessing pirated content infringes on copyright laws and deprives creators of rightful earnings.​ Using Torrent Services: Downloading or sharing copyrighted material without permission is illegal and can lead to legal consequences.​ Bullying and Trolling: Engaging in online harassment can cause significant emotional harm and may result in criminal charges.​ Faking Your Identity Online: Impersonating someone else can lead to identity theft and fraud, posing risks to individuals and organizations.​ Collecting Information About People Younger Than 13: Gathering data on minors without parental consent violates child protection laws and can lead to severe penalties.​ These offenses are serious because they not only break the law but also have the potential to cause significant harm to individuals and society.

Journal Entry #15 – Digital Forensics | Davin Teo | TEDxHongKongSalon – Watch this video and think about how the career of digital forensics investigators relate to the social sciences. Write a journal entry describing what you think about the speaker’s pathway to his career.

After watching Davin Teo’s talk, I realized digital forensics is way more than just working with computers — it’s about understanding people too. His path into the field showed that solving cybercrimes isn’t just technical; it’s about figuring out how and why people do what they do online. I liked how he made it clear that digital forensics is a mix of technology, psychology, and detective work. It made me think about how important social sciences are for this career, even though most people probably only think about the tech side. Davin’s story made digital forensics feel a lot more real and human to me — like it’s about solving real problems for real people, not just digging through files.