The media, particularly television, plays a significant role in shaping people’s
understanding and perception of cybersecurity and hacking. In the past, movie scenes shared
unrealistic cybersecurity practices, what most analyzers consider programming jargon. For
instance, “Tron Legacy” perfectly portrays what most films considered hacking in the 1980s. In
one of the scenes, the characters depict hacking as accessing a machine and installing malicious
software. However, even though installing software like SO12 could have added a few bugs into
the system, such an action is not hacking because the character was breaking into a house and
accessing a computer that was not password protected, encrypted, and required any other
authorization (Wired, 2019). A similar hacking technique was demonstrated in the movie “The X
Files”, where a hacker accesses government files on a computer that does not request a password
to log in (Wired, 2021a). Thus, in the past, the media shared unrealistic hacking skills that were
intriguing for the viewers but could not happen in real life.
In the current media, the understanding of cybersecurity and hacking has changed as
people can differentiate between realistic and unrealistic representations of hacking and what
makes it possible. For instance, the movie Silicon Valley S4E9 portrays a realistic scene were
hackers log in to people’s accounts using a Wi-Fi Pineapple device made by Hak5. If a hacker
carries the devices even in their backpack, they can hack any phone or computer around their
vicinity by tricking them into logging into the device instead of the intended legitimate access
point without telling the difference (Insider, 2021). Therefore, the representation of hacking and
cybersecurity practices in the current media has advanced because instead of sharing unrealistic
programming terminologies, it shows accurate hacking techniques that hackers could use to
access unauthorized or encrypted systems or devices.

References
Insider. (2021). Hacker Rates 12 Hacking Scenes in Movies and TV | How Real Is It? [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BqpU4V0Ypk
Wired. (2019). Hacker breaks down 26 hacking scenes from movies & TV [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZQz9tkEHIg
Wired. (2021a). Hacker breaks down hacking scenes from movies & TV [Video].

Before studying cybersecurity, I believed that hackers could hack even the most secure
systems as they devise advanced strategies to gain access. I thought cybersecurity involves
complex coding and technical prowess, and hackers are highly skilled programmers who work in
isolation and have sophisticated methods and systems to break into systems even if they are fully
secure. However, my exposure during the course has proven me wrong because even though
hackers have advanced programming skills, they are not fully equipped to attack all systems.
Insider (2021) “Hacker Rates 12 Hacking Scenes in Movies and TV” examines TV and movie
scenes on hacking to enlighten the audience that hackers do not break into people’s private
accounts; users let them by simply logging in. For instance, some password combinations,
especially ones with multiple special characters, are impossible for hackers to crack, and it would
require a significant amount of time and money to decipher such information, which is very
expensive. Thus, the course has challenged my misconceptions about cybersecurity because I
have learned that people increase their vulnerabilities to hacking as they lack the awareness to
protect their online activity. The course has corrected my oversimplified views about
cybersecurity, I now know hacking happens due to human factors, and mere passwords and
antivirus software are not enough to keep users safe.

References
Insider. (2021). Hacker Rates 12 Hacking Scenes In Movies And TV | How Real Is It? |
Insider [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BqpU4V0Ypk

Annotated Bibliography on Social Science and Cybersecurity
The present annotated bibliography aims to highlight various peer-reviewed articles
published in the last few years that discuss different aspects of social science and cybersecurity.
Dwyer et al. (2022) explore the shift in a critical cybersecurity perspective seeking to advance
social justice to counter cyber threats. Medoh and Telukdarie (2022) employ System Dynamics
Modelling to reflect on the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on cybersecurity. In the
work of Wu et al. (2022), the authors focus on social cybersecurity and the necessity of
incorporating social factors into technical security frameworks. Last, Popoola et al. (2024) focus
on the difference between cybersecurity awareness and training programs in Africa and the USA
and discuss the impact of the cultural and economic disparity between these regions. Altogether,
the presented articles cover key issues and approaches to cybersecurity in the context of social
sciences in the present day.
Dwyer, A. C., Stevens, C., Muller, L. P., Cavelty, M. D., Coles-Kemp, L., & Thornton, P. (2022).
What can a critical cybersecurity do? International Political Sociology, 16(3), olac013.
This article compares a critical approach to cybersecurity and the effects that will ensue
from its application. Closely, it analyses what the traditional approaches to cybersecurity
strengthen the power imbalance and what other strategies can be applied instead.
Highlighting the individual’s and society’s vulnerability in most cybersecurity studies, the
authors appeal for a more rigorous and diverse cybersecurity investigation within societies’
political processes. They stress the need to embrace social justice in cybersecurity,
considering the statistical nature of threats and responses. This work is essential due to its
paradigm shift regarding cyber security. Thus, it is a vital reference source, especially for
scholars and practitioners interested in the broader security perspective.
3
Medoh, C., & Telukdarie, A. (2022). The future of cybersecurity: A system dynamics
approach. Procedia Computer Science, 200, 318-326.
This article, presented at the 3rd International Conference on Industry 4.0 and Smart
Manufacturing, discusses the effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) on cyber
security. Medoh and Telukdarie use System Dynamics Modelling (SDM) to model the
impact of cybersecurity activities in network and security solution markets. It compiles and
evaluates the inputs from the industry participants involved in the study and incorporates
such into a living model that supports tactical and strategic planning and execution to
counter the risks posed by cybersecurity threats. The study also reinforces the necessity of
implementing new technologies for protecting corporate assets, including big data and
cloud computing, for sustainable development in digitalization.
Wu, Y., Edwards, W. K., & Das, S. (2022, May). SoK: Social Cybersecurity. In 2022 IEEE
Symposium on Security and Privacy (SP) (pp. 1863-1879). IEEE.
This systematization of knowledge article analyzes prior work in social cybersecurity
across four key behavior domains: gaining entrance control to resources, shared and social
authentication, self-presentation, and socialization of security and privacy concerns. The
authors categorize the literature into four levels of social distance intimacy: intimate,
personal, social, and public. They also establish that the desired practices differ with this
structure. They pinpoint a social-technical chasm where none of the security and privacy
models consider social aspects, compelling users to employ reasonable best practices/
security-based privacy and minimum social friction. The article lays down the course for
research that centers on developing social cybersecurity systems that would incorporate the
technical goals into societal needs.
4
Popoola, O. A., Akinsanya, M. O., Nzeako, G., Chukwurah, E. G., & Okeke, C. D. (2024).
Exploring theoretical constructs of cybersecurity awareness and training programs:
comparative analysis of African and US Initiatives. International Journal of Applied
Research in Social Sciences, 6(5), 819-827.
This journal article offers a comprehensive comparative literature reflection of the
conceptual framework of cybersecurity awareness and training in Africa and the USA. The
authors explore how they are modified within cultural and economic differences of the two
regions to each of the theories of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Sustaining
focus on the overview of the discrepancies in the program design, delivery, and results, the
article provides significant insights for the authorities and everyone who aims at improving
the effectiveness of the global cybersecurity education programs. The study provides a
strong foundation for making context-specific, place-oriented decisions while
simultaneously stressing cross-portal cooperation in the fight against emerging cyber
threats.
5
References
Dwyer, A. C., Stevens, C., Muller, L. P., Cavelty, M. D., Coles-Kemp, L., & Thornton, P. (2022).
What can a critical cybersecurity do? International Political Sociology, 16(3), olac013.
Medoh, C., & Telukdarie, A. (2022). The future of cybersecurity: A system dynamics
approach. Procedia Computer Science, 200, 318-326.
Popoola, O. A., Akinsanya, M. O., Nzeako, G., Chukwurah, E. G., & Okeke, C. D. (2024).
Exploring theoretical constructs of cybersecurity awareness and training programs:
comparative analysis of African and US Initiatives. International Journal of Applied
Research in Social Sciences, 6(5), 819-827.
Wu, Y., Edwards, W. K., & Das, S. (2022, May). SoK: Social Cybersecurity. In 2022 IEEE

Bestow & Carley (2019) expounds that social cybersecurity has gained popularity as a crucial national security domain, which is going to influence the future of global warfare. The domain focuses on characterizing and understanding the changes in cyber influence on human behavior and sociocultural and political effects to implement a cyber-security infrastructure that is based on imminent social cyber threats. The primary takeaway from the article is advancing detection techniques, where cybersecurity experts introduce sophisticated algorithms to guarantee real-time identification of disinformation and create awareness to ensure people scrutinize the information they consume. Evidently, cybersecurity is not a technical challenge but a social issue that impacts every societal aspect, necessitating social measures to safeguard national information systems and maintain democratic integrity amidst constant technological advancements. Consequently, when addressing cybersecurity issues, experts should target their social dimensions to protect society against the negative implications of disinformation.
 




References
Beskow, D. M., & Carley, K. M. (2019). Social cybersecurity: an emerging national security requirement. Military review, 99(2), 117-127. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/Mar-Apr-2019/117-Cybersecurity/b/

CBS Mornings’ (2021) “Cybercrime spikes as online holiday shopping picks up” elaborates that online shopping activities surged during the pandemic, and cybercriminals were aware of it. As stipulated in the video, the Federal Trade Commission recognized that scams on social media tripped during the outbreak, and most people were victims of the crimes. For instance, one consumer bought a riding dinosaur, which turned out to be a fake toy, even though it appeared like the original ones on the scammer’s site. Besides, many other online buyers were scammed, especially during the Black Friday mega sales, depicting spiked cybercrimes during online holiday shopping pickups.
The happenings in the video relate to the routine activity theory because it stipulates that crime revolves around three things. The theory expounds tat crimes happens because of a “potential offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian” (Andresen & Ha, 2018). According to the theory, crime trends escalate based on suitable targets, especially due to changes in people’s routine activities and the presence of more people to target. Though not present for all individuals and communities, these changes, significantly impact people at societal levels. As such, the theory relates to the phenomenon depicted in the video because it posits that crime occurs when the availability of suitable targets and no guardianship motivated criminals to engage in crime. During the festivities, most people rushed to shop online, and cybercriminals were motivated to exploit their period with minimal resistance or oversight. Thus, most online shoppers were unaware that scammers were readily available to trick them into purchasing items that did not meet the stipulated requirements because with increased shopping activities, there were minimal cyber security measures to protect or enlighten buyers.

References
Andresen, M. A., & Ha, O. K. (2018). Routine activity theory. In The Routledge companion to criminological theory and concepts (pp. 536-539). Routledge.
CBS Mornings. (2021). Cybercrime spikes as online holiday shopping picks up [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOGUzKJ7Hog

People often choose not to report being victims of cybercrime for various reasons, including psychological, social, and practical factors. A key issue is the lack of awareness about what qualifies as cybercrime, leading many individuals not to realize they have been targeted or to downplay the seriousness of the situation. This is especially common among older individuals or those with limited tech knowledge.
Another significant barrier is the fear of feeling embarrassed or ashamed. Victims may think they are gullible for falling for scams or phishing schemes and fear being judged by others. This sense of shame can strongly discourage reporting, particularly in cases involving personal data or financial harm

TED Talks “Our Human Firewall” explores cybersecurity mistakes that expose people to cyber-attacks. The speaker mentions that personal data is precious, but sometime people expose it without knowing. For instance, when one sits in a Starbucks shop and connects to free Wi-Fi, it exposes them to malicious third parties who trick them to expose their online activities and personal data. According to the speaker, the best way to prevent cyber-attacks is introducing a human firewall to help people and organizations to remain vigilant about cyber threats because one person cannot maintain such security. It could be a great idea for businesses to ensure employees are aware of threats arising within the cybersecurity landscape. As such, companies could decrease the chances of cyber-attack vulnerability whilst creating a robust security culture within the business. Thus, even though companies have other security strategies, if a cyber-criminal slip through security gaps or if advanced cyber threats their business operations, they can rely on a human firewall to prevent major attacks and remain secure.

Recognizing that human error is the primary reason for hacking is the first step to reducing or preventing cyber-attacks within companies. TEDx Talks expounds that the human element is the weakest link in cybersecurity because people use their online accounts daily and are vulnerable to unconscious mistakes that expose them to cyber-attacks. As such, companies can build a human forward by educating employees through education and awareness programs on cyber security. The programs should instill skills to detect potential threats and action they should take to reduce the likelihood of becoming victims. Thus, a human firewall is a potential solution to security threats by keeping employees aware of online threats and how to recognize and avoid them.

In my opinion, psychodynamic theories offer the most comprehensive explanation for cybercrime. These theories highlight the significance of subconscious drives, childhood events, and internal struggles in influencing human actions. I appreciate this theory for its emphasis on delving into the underlying psychological reasons that could lead people to commit cybercrimes. By uncovering these psychological dynamics, we can better grasp the causes of cybercrime and create more successful ways to intervene and treat it

Victim precipitation in the context of cyber victimization indicates that the victim’s actions or behaviors could play a role in their own victimization online. This emphasizes how certain online behaviors can heighten the chances of falling prey to cybercrime. It implies that certain actions or oversights in the digital realm may increase an individual’s susceptibility to being targeted by cybercriminals. These actions may involve sharing personal information without caution, clicking on dubious links, or participating in risky online behaviors, all of which could potentially lead to their victimization.