Opening Remarks
As I reflect on my time and development throughout the past four years, I fondly observe my progress in both subjects I excelled in as well as those I previously felt a lack of confidence. Writing as a general skill was one I had proficiency in when entering a higher learning environment, however, am able to recognize my advancement, and expansion in both skills and confidence. Particularly speaking, of the creative writing avenues I once struggled with, two of those are now among my most critical skills, and ones I proudly present here. The fundamental skills of research and analysis, two crucial skills within cybersecurity, could not have been molded as finely as they were without the guidance of my professors, and the assignments that challenged me. While these two skills have been nothing more than vital in my progress, a third, previously unrecognized skill became evident over the past year, boosted both by my professional internship, and developed minor degree in cybercrime; critical understanding. As a trio, these three skills present a balanced overview of my capabilities, my strengths as a technical writer, and my continued development within the field I now am able to call home.
Research
Of the skills that are displayed throughout my portfolio, the first, and most important is that of research; a fundamental tool for cybersecurity analysts and technical writers within the field, especially when employed like my first artifact. I opted to refer to this as Government Documentation Research as the purpose of this artifact served as an examination of government cybersecurity documentation when viewed from the perspective of a small business. While this research may initially serve as an overview of documentation, I wished to delve further into the topic and information covered, in an attempt to present how a small business should approach this documentation in order to get the most out of it. In retrospect this topic was much more important than I initially realized, as my future internship would focus on topics very similar to this, with my research efforts soon to be utilized in a way that would benefit small businesses and contractors.
My second research artifact; interdisciplinary research, serves as an independent study of how human behavior effects cybersecurity efforts examined through an interdisciplinary lens, or the idea of examining a problem through many different fields of study. Outlined within The Essential Guide to Risk Management, cybersecurity is best described as a “complex environment resulting from the interaction of people, software, and services on the internet by means of technology devices and networks connected to it, which does not exist in any physical form (Apvera, 2018),” an expansive understanding of a field I initially understood to be absolute within itself. However, through resources showcasing different perspectives, I soon found the benefit in an interdisciplinary style of research opposed to restricting myself to a singular perspective. The chosen topic of human behavior played perfectly into this, as I soon found myself reaching for solutions I was familiar with through a cybersecurity perspective, only to find that I was subconsciously reaching more into a psychology, or economic perspective, ultimately leading towards a natural cohesion I found myself adapting to well. The topic of interdisciplinary research not only stuck throughout the remainder of my academic career, but became an invaluable tool that I regularly call on, mostly in how it affected my research capabilities by guiding me to finding information through unlikely sources.
My final research artifact is the culmination of my research efforts and designed skills that I worked years to become proficient in, resulting in a semester-long research effort that connected greatly with both my personal, and professional understanding of the field I had become engrained with. Mass media research had always interested me, expressed further through my continued research into the topic through my developed cybercrime minor, and professional examinations into the topic as part of my internship. While this research paper existed before my true calling to cybersecurity became clear, it represents what I stand for within the field and showcases my love of technology while also detailing my consistent hesitation throughout it. It is the true foundation of my research capabilities, and something that while I am proud of, one I continue to view as a stepping stone rather a finalized front. While this topic and skill is demonstrated clearly, my progression is something I view solely as something I will only grow stronger with.
Analysis
While analysis is something I have done much of over the years, whether that be document, policy, or media analysis in both a personal and professional way, I continue to view article analysis as something everyone should become proficient in. This topic is one I connect with even more clearly now as the bulk of my cybersecurity internship included examining documentation and articles to find something that is able to be translated into usable, and referenceable information. This particular article, involving cybercrime investigation models in Iraq, connects with a topic I have analyzed throughout my academic career summarized as how middle eastern cultures connect with, influence, and utilize cybersecurity efforts and understandings.
In similar fashion to articles, law analysis is something a cybercrime student must be proficient in, with my personal attempts at law analysis proving to be challenging, but incredibly beneficial in my understanding of how the field of cybersecurity translates to tangible concepts such as regulations or restrictions. While analyzing an article is able to grant small selections of information that can then be referred to in coalition with a general idea or argument, law analysis grants a deeper understanding of the topics you are arguing on or about. This idea is expressed through my analysis of, and comparison of multiple privacy centered U.S. codes between two artifacts that conflict with, and build off of one another, something I have intentionally chosen to showcase as I found interest in the ability to present similar information in a conflicting way dependent on how it is presented. My third analysis artifact touches on this subject further, by examining case analysis opposed to pure case law. This particular instance surrounded TheDarkOverlord, a cybercrime group that was brought up on cyberterrorism charges, leading me to further analyze how their privacy violations both differed from that of the case I had previously analyzed. This is particularly showcased through my analysis and comparison of U.S.C 552a and 18 U.S.C 2702, both of which detailing personal expectations of privacy however detailing the differing definitions of voluntary disclosure of records, with 552a detailing the process of acquiring and handling records, and 2702 presenting contingencies should an individual knowingly, or unknowingly volunteer for their records to void their expectation of privacy (18 2702, 552a). Ultimately, from analysis efforts expressed through my cyber law coursework, I found the extended benefit of analysis when used to particularly examine the same laws cybersecurity professionals work alongside, granting me a more personal, and informed perception of the work I take part in.
Critical Understanding
Critical understanding, while a niche topic, is a skill I found myself connecting more with than any of the others I have mentioned due to how often I make use of, and benefit from it. Critical understanding in my eyes is an interdisciplinary understanding of the innerworkings of a topic, and how the world ultimately moves through and around that topic. I open this skill category with an immediate example of this through an understanding of digital culture, further reinforcing my studies of media research, and employing personal analysis efforts from my own time spent wandering the digital landscape. I wholeheartedly believe that to truly understand a topic, one must understand why individuals are drawn to it, as well as what those individuals gain. Digital culture was an obvious starting point, as the topic is frequently called on with few truly understanding how, or why it is able to operate the way that it does, a topic I further explore in my second artifact where I seek to outline and better understand cyber victimization. These topics connect both in theme and in examination, as ultimately the two exist in tandem with the innerworkings of the internet, and the traits that are boosted throughout it.
My final true artifact and final lasting impression of critical understanding comes from my examination of the Patriot Act and how it affected the lives of Muslim Americans. While a topic that involved some research and further analysis of cyber laws and techniques, the interdisciplinary side of the topic led to a greater work that extended beyond that of simply being research or analysis. This artifact is one I am most proud of, as my attempts to better understand the lasting effects of security documentation persisted throughout many of my professional and academic efforts over the years. This to me encapsulates exactly what is important about a skill such as the ability to better understand; while any individual has the tools to analyze a document or research ideas, the ability to connect all efforts to formally address a deeper goal is what I credit as the sole drawn factor that encouraged my deeper growth with cybersecurity.
Closing Remarks
To me, cybersecurity is a combined effort, and not one that can be accomplished through specified skills or developed ideas. Like topics such as health or economics, there are numerous factors that play into the development of the field, as well as technology, and the expansion of security throughout the digital frontier. To achieve success in cybersecurity is to have the tools to clearly define and understand what needs to be done, including how to accomplish that goal, and maintain the efforts that have been performed. Without these three developed skills, no matter how broad or what they were used for, I would not understand the topic of cybersecurity as clearly as I do now.
References
18 U.S. Code § 2702 – Voluntary disclosure of customer communications or records. law.cornell.edu
Apvera (2018) The Essential Guide to Risk Management & Compliance (GRC) 2018, Tech. rep.. Apvera.
Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C § 552a (2021). https://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacy-act-1974