Journal 1 – Review the NICE Workforce Framework. Are there certain areas that you would want to focus your career on? Explain which areas are most appealing to you and which are least appealing.

Several areas in cybersecurity particularly interest me. As I have been growing my
knowledge of cybersecurity and with the way the world continues to evolve, I have been
considering focusing my career in cybersecurity, specifically in the protection and
defense area. Insider threat analysis and incident analysis are really appealing career
paths to me because they are similar to ethical hacking. I find these careers fascinating
because they both help protect organizations by identifying threats and finding ways to
respond to them correctly. I also think it’s interesting that these careers work alongside
law enforcement to help and support them. The career that is least appealing to me is
technical support because I think it seems really repetitive and doesn’t catch my
attention.

Journal 2 – How does the principle of empiricism enhance the effectiveness of cybersecurity practices?

The principle of Empiricism is the perception on which knowledge is understood.
The principle of Empiricism is that knowledge comes from real experience. The principle
of Empiricism in cybersecurity can relate to a wide range of data. For instance, test
results, threat attacks, and system logs. Empirical data collection and analysis are very
important in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity helps solve and create solutions worldwide,
drawing on real evidence of threats. Empirical data collection and analysis are
particularly beneficial in cybersecurity, given that attacks occur daily. This helps
cybersecurity professionals to analyze and learn from patterns of various threats,
helping to prevent them in the future. Overall, being able to constantly analyze data
improves security and helps identify vulnerabilities within systems and networks.

Journal 3 – Visit PrivacyRights.org Links to an external site. to see the types of publicly available information about data breaches. How might researchers use this information to study breaches and forecast future data breach trends ?

In today’s world, hackers cause a lot of issues and are pretty dominant in the
technology field. After reviewing the provided article, I learned that more than half of
these attacks are classified as unknown breach types. The other small percentage of
these attacks lacks sufficient information to determine the issue, making it difficult to
identify the attack method that was used. There are several forms of information about
data breaches that can be beneficial for researchers, such as reports, articles, and even
the press. Researchers can utilize this information to identify attack algorithms and
trends to prevent these cyber attacks from occurring, but also allow them to break down
the variety of attacks to categorize them. Over time, this will help prevent successful
cyber attacks and eliminate vulnerabilities.

Journal 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.

Maslow’s Hierarchy is a theory founded by Abraham Maslow. There are five
stages of his theory, representing several different stages of human motivation. I can
relate to all of these levels in my everyday life, from my experiences with technology.
The first two stages I can relate to because I use technology to cook food every day,
and on my laptop, I have software’s to help keep my private information safe. I also
relate to the third stage because I use my phone to communicate with my friends and
family. The fourth stage is esteem needs, I experience this when I find solutions to
problems I’m having with technology. The last stage is very important to me; technology
allows me to improve my knowledge through various learning platforms.

Journal 5 – Review the articles linked with each individual motive in slide/page #3.  Rank the motives from 1 to 8 as the motives that you think make the most sense (being 1) to the least sense (being 8).  Explain why you rank each motive the way you rank it.

After reviewing the eight motives provided and ranking them from most to least sensible, I believe that money is the primary motive for individuals engaging in cybercrime. Today’s world is highly driven by money, and it has a significant impact on individuals, influencing their decisions. The second motive I think makes the most sense is revenge. This is because revenge is a primary motive for many types of crime. When individuals seek revenge, it stems from different emotions, primarily anger and a desire for retribution. Politics is the third motive that makes sense to cybercrime. This is because individuals often justify their actions. After all, they think it’s what is right. The fourth motive has multiple reasons. I think this is a very common motive because individuals often have various reasons that influence their decisions. The fifth motive is recognition; many cyber offenders commit malicious attacks to demonstrate their power and boost their status. The sixth motive I think makes the most sense is curiosity. Curiosity motivates individuals to take things to the next level and encourages them to explore further. Entertainment being seventh is reasonable to me because I find committing cybercrime to be both fun and reckless. Finally, I think boredom is the eighth motive because I consider it highly unlikely to occur. 

Journal 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 and similarities that identify each fake website as fraudulent.

The first website I discovered that had issues with individuals creating fake websites pretending to be the real one is USPS. The second website I researched was PayPal. PayPal has experienced issues with individuals scamming and has been targeted by several phishing attacks. The third website I found that has issues with phishing attacks and fake websites pretending to be the real one is Amazon. All three of these companies experienced very similar issues that have affected their business in some form. The most common techniques individuals use to commit cybercrime are attempting to impersonate a real company by mimicking its appearance. For example, they will create different domains and URLs that appear to be the real thing. Individuals can prevent falling for these fake websites by simply looking for minor incorrect details. For example, look for any spelling errors or then endings of the domain look off. I believe that another significant indicator of fake websites is their lack of verification details. For example, these fake websites will often have the bare minimum of verification and contact information, as this helps them evade detection and engage in malicious behavior. Key takeaways include paying close attention to the website’s contact information and being cautious of fake bot responses that attempt to impersonate genuine support. Overall, humans must expand their knowledge of simple technology conflicts, especially as the world rapidly transitions to a technology-based society.

Journal 7 – 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 and similarities that identify each fake website as fraudulent.

Photo #5 My meme- When the friend group finds out there is free Wi-Fi.

The issue with this scenario is that it involves ever clicking on a random link that could not be safe. This exact scenario occurs a lot in today’s society, where individuals are not careful or not aware of what could happen. That’s why it’s important in spreading cybersecurity awareness to help people be protected. 

Photo #20 My Meme- When you post your everyday life on Instagram and wonder why people know where you’re always at.

This is another common issue in today’s day and age, where individuals overshare their personal and private information, which makes them extremely vulnerable to being hacked. It can even get as bad as someone trying to stalk you. 

Photo #15 My meme- When your overstimulated form is working and accidentally click on a suspicious email.

This occurs when individuals are so worked up and tired of working and are stressed, causing them just to do things out of spite, which can lead to accidentally doing something that can affect them badly. 

 Overall, individuals are very uneducated in the technology field, causing people to fall for scams and get hacked. Individuals need to be more conscious when using technology so that issues can be resolved and not always blame it on the machines for human error.

Journal 8 – Watch this video and pay attention to the way that movies distort hackers. Scientists Rate 65 Scenes from Movies and TV | How Real Is It? | Insider – YouTube Links to an external site.

All forms of media play a significant role in today’s world as the internet becomes increasingly mainstream. Nowadays, people often use some form of media for entertainment in their free time. After reviewing the provided video, I learned right away that movies and shows alone can create a false narrative in an individual’s mind. An example that caught my eye throughout the video was how the cybersecurity professional quickly identified that false events were occurring across multiple scenes in a film. Overall, given the impact social media has, I think cybersecurity awareness must be promoted to help everyone stay safer and have a better understanding of technology.

Journal 9 – Complete the Social Media Disorder scale Download Social Media Disorder scale. or please find the attachment here: Social Media Disorder Scale-1.pdfDownload Social Media Disorder Scale-1.pdf

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?

1. My score was 2 

2.  I think the Social Media Disorder Scale is quite accurate in terms of the information it provides; however, I slightly disagree with its scoring. I personally believe, especially in today’s world, that the average social media usage should be scored 2-5, based on the information on the test, given how mainstream social media is.  

3. I think that different patterns around the world stem from other beliefs, religions, and social, economic, and technological differences across countries, which is why every pattern is not the same. Overall, technology has different impacts and effects on everyone who uses technology, no matter where they are. 

Journal 10 – Read this and write a journal entry summarizing your response to the article on social cybersecurity https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958825000831Links to an external site.

I found this article very interesting. The article effectively highlights the significant impact of social cybersecurity and its continuous evolution. This article explains how cybersecurity threats with malicious intent have slowly shifted direction. Instead of primarily focusing on breaching machines, cybercriminals are now targeting individuals through social media and using human error to their advantage. The article highlights how individuals can cause arguments through social media, thereby creating a divide. One thing that stood out to me significantly in this article is how cybercriminals are manipulating people due to their lack of understanding of technology. I also learned from this article about the power of computer algorithms and how they can be trained to recognize and detect signs of manipulation. Overall, I think it’s significantly important that cyber awareness continues to be spread, especially after analyzing this article. 

Journal 11 – Watch this videoLinks to an external site..  As you watch the video, write a paragraph describing social themes that arise in the presentation.

A cybersecurity analyst’s job title has several different uses depending on the company, but overall, a cybersecurity analyst is labeled as the first line of defense. Cybersecurity analysts help monitor networks and prevent cyber threats from occurring. The lady in the video emphasizes the importance of networking throughout the video. This video demonstrates the importance of communication and how to utilize all available resources to benefit you. In this video, the lady effectively conveys the importance of getting involved in your local community. She also highlights the opportunity that is available in this job. Companies that demand cybersecurity analysts often note that a degree is not required, which allows for diversity in the technology field and helps represent the cybersecurity field. This video also highlights the importance of a good resume. Overall, a cybersecurity analyst is a great job to get your foot in the door and really allow you to learn and grow, as it enables people to work from anywhere in the world.

Journal 12 – Read this https://dojmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/Glasswasherparts.com_.pdfLinks to an external site. sample breach letter “SAMPLE DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION” and describe how two different economics theories and two different psychological social sciences theories relate to the letter.

The first theory I believe relates to this letter is the Classical Economic Theory, which is due to the company’s decision-making process. The letter indicates that the company sought to reach its customers and inform them. The company needs customers to help maintain a balance by keeping a solid reputation and keeping the business stable. The second theory that I think is connected to this letter is the Marxian Economic Theory. This is because the letter indicates that workers and consumers also face negative impacts as a result of the company wanting to make more money. The two psychological social science theories that I believe relate to the letter are the Prospect Theory and the Attribution Theory. I think the Prospect Theory relates to the letter because individuals tend to care more about losing something than gaining something. This connects with the letter because people have a chance of losing something. I think the Attribution theories connect to the letter because the company and the people both could have potentially been affected by the breach. 

Journal 13 – The policies relate to economics in that they are based on cost/benefits principles.  Read this article https://academic.oup.com/cybersecurity/article/7/1/tyab007/6168453?login=trueLinks to an external site.  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.

This article explains how companies and organizations are rapidly expanding and attempting to adapt to threats and cyberattacks. Throughout this article, it is mentioned that several different programs are being utilized to help companies and organizations identify their vulnerabilities and address them. The article highlights that many major worldwide companies are lacking basic and simple disclosure policies. This is a significant reason why these companies experience numerous cyber threats and attacks, as they often share common vulnerabilities that leave them vulnerable to breaches. The article also points out that bug bounty programs show that when companies work with independent hackers, it helps fix vulnerabilities and maintain a secure system. Overall, this article demonstrates the impact of economics and economic incentives on cybersecurity.  It really highlights that cybersecurity is more than just a technical aspect; the social impact plays just as significant a role as the technical side of cybersecurity does.

Journal 14 – Write a paragraph describing the five most serious violations and why you think those offenses are serious.

From the reading, I believe that all of these illegal things are truly awful. Although from the list, I think the first serious violation is collecting information on children. This is a horrible thing to do to anybody, especially a child. Gathering information about minors without consent is highly illegal. The second violation that I think is the most serious from the list is sharing passwords, addresses, or photos of other people. This is a very serious crime because breaching and leaking somebody’s private information is highly illegal. Doxing opens several doors for something bad to happen to the person who got doxed, because the individual committing the crime can share their information with other people with malicious intent. The third violation that I believe is very serious is identity fraud. This is due to individuals pretending to be someone they are not. The individual whose identity was stolen could lose money, have their bank information compromised, and possibly get into trouble if someone uses their identity for illegal purposes. The next violation I think is serious from the list is recording a VoIP call without consent. Recording individuals’ conversations without their consent is highly illegal. The fifth violation, I believe, is major, specifically bullying and trolling. I believe this offense is a very serious matter due to somebody getting cyberbullied, which can lead to other offenses on the list, like sharing photos of someone else on the internet without their consent. Overall, all of these offenses are illegal, and individuals should face serious consequences if they commit any of them.    

Journal 15 – What ethical questions did the presentation raise for you? How do you think society should address these ethical concerns?

I have learned so much after watching this video about individuals using AI and deepfakes with malicious intent. After reviewing the video, I was curious about how we can prevent these deepfakes from continually improving and how to minimize their use. Society should address these important ethical concerns by first strengthening the rules. I think it is important because it will lead to fewer people being scammed, experiencing identity theft, or being harassed. Another idea to help address ethical concerns would be to continue improving software to detect deepfakes and to integrate it into people’s devices so their devices can detect an attack and prevent it from escalating. Ultimately, people need to be more aware and cautious about what they’re posting on social media, as it allows anyone to access their privacy. A lot of these attacks stem from human error.