Module 1 – Top Careers
Describe the top three careers of social science graduates that you would be interested in considering. What is it about those jobs that you find interesting? Respond to one other entry.
1. Market Research Analyst
Why ?: Market research analysts study consumer behavior, market conditions, and business trends to help companies understand what products or services should offer to how market their goods effectively. This role fascinates me due to the fact that I tend to pay attention to how lots of companies nowadays are getting really creative with their ads and appealing to a mass audience and also the fact that it does blend psychology, economics and statistics. The concept of predicting of what a mass audience would want, identifying a potential trend that could help a business grow within the next couple years, and helping businesses make data-driven decisions, would really have me thinking outside the box quite a lot if I were to pursue this career.
2. Intelligence Analyst
Why ?: Intelligence Analyst tend to handle with sensitive information ranging stuff from Law Enforcement Agencies to Government and Private sectors. Being this type of analyst combines the study of human behavior, the social aspects of a sector, and statistics so, I could potentially see myself working along this field due to the fact that being able to study/gather data from another group and using said data for the sake of trying to make a disaster not happen before hand would interesting to say the least.
3. Social Worker:
Why ?: This types of professions combine the aspects of sociology, criminology, and psychology as a foundation for their work. The work involves helping to improve the lives and well-being of people which includes, children, the elderly and also those with disabilities’. They can often work for the government agencies or any public organizations to help coordinate resources for mental and physical health services and develop many wellness programs for groups of people or other communities and provide guidance for those going through life transitions. I’d say that working in this field fascinates me due to the three aspects mentioned earlier and being able to help and understand these people a bit more so that I can change their quality of life for the better, I’d see myself working somewhere similar to this field where, then again, I’m helping people just get along with their lives for the better and just trying to help a community in the long run.
Module 2 – Determinism
Determinism within computer systems means predictable behavior based on the predefined rules that were set in place, in which hackers use to use to find vulnerabilities such as in, buffer overflows or in brute-force attacks. Most ethical hackers and cybersecurity professionals use this predictability to test and secure various systems. However, the element of human error still factors in and introduces variability in which, creates a blend of deterministic and unpredictable behaviors in cybersecurity. Understanding both ideals helps in developing more effective defense strategies.
Module 4 – Apply the phrase victim precipitation to cyber victimization
Victim precipitation in cybercrime usually occurs when individuals involuntarily contributed to their own victimization through any type of risky behaviors. This sort of concept usually involves using weak passwords, oversharing of personal information (such as social media), clicking on sketchy links, or falling for any phishing scams. Also involving/engaging in any illegal activity online can make any individual a lot more vulnerable to cyber attacks. Although they’re not intentionally inviting any type of harm, these behaviors will usually increase the chances of becoming a target for cyber criminals.
Module 5 – identify which theories you think best explain cybercrime and discuss what you like about that theory.
The Routine Activity theory, which was brought upon buy Cohen and Felson in 1979, which explains the crime as a convergence of three elements: 1. A motivated offender, 2. A Suitable target, and 3. The absence of any capable guardian. Within this digital age, this theory fits well to cybercrime. Those offenders with the skills to exploit, targets which include, unsecured systems, and the lack of any effective cybersecurity (firewalls passwords) which acts as the missing guardian. This theory puts an emphasis on that while more people and systems online increases risks, all the while, having strong cybersecurity measures can reduce these vulnerabilities.
Module 5 – Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpdcVfq2dB8 and pay attention to what the biggest risk of cyber threats are. After watching the video, post an entry in the discussion board describing what you think about the “human firewall”.
The concept of the “Human firewall” showcases the importance of individuals in protecting against most cyber threats. People are often associated with the being link, but through training, education, and awareness, they can become the first line of defense. These key risks include social oversharing, public Wi-Fi threats, and phishing attacks. Constant training and vigilance are key to empower these individuals to recognize and prevent these cyber risks. By building a strong human firewall requires a proactive approach to overall cybersecurity education.
Module 9/Week 9 – Discussion – Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=7TpsYofbAPALinks to an external site. about a 12-year-old cyber security expert. Pay attention to how he has embedded himself into the cybersecurity culture. Also, pay attention to how the ideas of knowledge, technology, and secrecy relate to his expertise. On the discussion board post an entry about how the video relates to something you read for this class – either from the readings or this module.
After viewing the video on Ruben Paul’s journey as a cybersecurity expert which ties directly with some of the readings from this/other modules. Our discussion posts on digital privacy and the dangers of having inadequate cybersecurity. Such as the reading on “Digital surveillance and privacy” showcases highlights how vulnerable how personal data can be sometimes, especially through our everyday smart-devices connected to wi-fi and Bluetooth. In the video, Paul’s demonstration of hacking toys such as cloud pets reinforces this idea by even harmless toys can be used to invade privacy and can gather sensitive information from us. This topic also connects with ethical considerations that we have talked about before about how children are often early adopters of technology, and are at risk due to the lack of security in various devices designed for them.
Module 10/Week 10 – Discussion
Identify two research questions that researchers might address related to the social aspects of cybersecurity. Respond to two other student’s entries in terms of what you think about the questions they identified?
1. How exactly does social engineering attacks exploit the human psychology ? What sort of strategies could be made to increase the user’s resistance to attacks ?
– This question takes a look at how cybercriminals can manipulate a random individual psychologically and explores on ways to educate and give knowledge to users to recognize and resist common social engineering attacks
2. In what kind of ways does spreading misinformation about cybersecurity could impact public trust in digital platforms or other forms of technology ?
– This question showcases the influence of spreading misinformation on public trust, which can obviously lead into “overly-cautious” behavior or vice-versa, having a sort of lax attitude towards actual cyber risks.
DiscussionModule 14/Week 15 – Discussion: Watch this videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOGUzKJ7HogLinks to an external site. And explain what it has to do with routine activities theory. Respond to at least one other classmate posts.
Online shopping scams during the pandemics aligns with Routine Activities Theory, which shows crime as the result of a motivated offender, a suitable target, and a lack of general guardianship. Cybercriminals exploit the surge in online shopping, by targeting unsuspecting individuals through fake ads and fraudulent websites. Shoppers become more exposed when presented with deals that are too good to be true, while sites like Facebook allow a lot of scams to flourish on their own platform. Strengthening Cybersecurity awareness and enacting protective measures can help mitigate these risks.