Week 1 – Journal Entry: 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.
After skimming through the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) for a and looking through some of the work roles, I’d personally would like to steer my career path more towards the “Cyberspace Intelligence” roles and I’m more keened towards learning more about types of threats flowing through our network and how to assess these threats when it comes to attacks. The Investigation work roles have my interests as well, as it caters more towards to the digital forensics side of things and I’d like to know more about career as my education furthers more and I’ve noticed that it delves quite deep into the “deeper” parts of the web as well and since I’ve only the bare minimum, I’d personally like to learn more about it than the surface web itself.
Now, there isn’t exactly a field that doesn’t quite appeal to me as they seem all quite interesting to me and I’d like to learn more about each role somewhere in my free time but, I’d say somewhere within the areas of Technical Support wouldn’t be an interest to me. Personally, ti don’t see this field going away anytime soon but, I wouldn’t say communication towards another customer would be my strong suit, but, I’m confident that I can help with technical issues its just I don’t exactly have the customer support skills just yet.
Week 2 – Journal Entry: Explain how the principles of science relate to cybersecurity.
The principles of science relates to cybersecurity through specific systematic approaches such as, the scientific method, where observation, hypothesis, experimentation, analysis, and conclusion are applied in order to detect and address threats. Applying evidence-based practices assist in decision-making, while repeatability ensures reliability in testing security. Both of the fields rely on systems that are thinking to break down complex components and innovation in order to stay head of new challenges, and predictive modeling in order to asses risk. These scientific methods/principles help cybersecurity professionals methodically in order to defend, test, and improve security measures against new and evolving cyber threats.
Week 3 – Journal Entry: 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 use data from Privacyrights.org to help identify trends and patterns in breach occurrences, such as common/daily vulnerabilities and other targeted industries. They also help asses the impact of different breaches throughout different sectors, and individuals, helping to understand privacy and other security consequences. Furthermore, by examining breach details helps aid in identifying common security flaws and also evaluating the effectiveness of different response strategies. This data helps support policy development by highlighting the importance of stronger data protection laws and it also informs the public on data security risks. In short, analyzing breach information helps improve cybersecurity practices and helps play in part for a more effective incident response procedure and prevention strategies.
Week 4 – Journal Entry: 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.
In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it relates to technology if many ways. At a very basic level, technology helps up in our needs physiologically through apps that help feed us or, apps that can monitor our health. In terms of safety, cybersecurity tools such as data protection or password vaults helps with data and privacy. Love and Belonging are promoted through social media and other online communities and the esteem is boosted by professional platforms such as LinkedIn, where you can display your set of skills and previous experiences. Lastly, self-actualization is received through learning, whether it be in-person or online courses or any other career advancement within the cybersecurity field. Technology in general plays a vital role for fulfilling both basic and higher roles that I need in my daily life.
Week 5 – Journal Entry: 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.
After reading each article, here is my ranking per each individual motive:
1. Fun (Linkedin Scraping) – The hacking involved just scraped LinkedIn for “fun”, displaying how curiosity or just seeking any challenge can be key motives. This ranks high because it’s quite common and also shows how any data can be exploited with ease.
2. Hacktivism (Youthful Hackers) – Being driven by a certain desire against the societal norms, which is particularly popular among the the youth with strong ideological beliefs.
3. Revenge (Wales) – By letting the victims being let down the by the law shows how much impact it has the emotional and personal nature of any revenge-driven crimes.
4. DDoS for Vanity (Election DDos) – By conducting these attacks for any sort of recognition such as the election-related issue, it shows how personal validation can be a motive.
5. Money – Just like any cybercrime, financial gain is a common goal, although not as emotionally charged with revenge or ideology
6.Online Grooming (Children) – Malicious actors exploiting being anonymous on the web for any predatory motives is quite significant but not as widespread as the previous motives.
7. Spite and Intimidation – While as effective, this ranks lower due to how narrow and person it is compared to other larger societal impacts of any hacktivism and financial crime.
Week 6 – Journal Entry: Can you spot three fake websites and compare the three fake websites to three real websites, plus showcase what makes the fake websites fake?
Spotting Fake Websites Examples:
E-Commerce Sites:
– Fake : www.Amaz0n-deals-shop.com (Misspelling, unnecessary words, no HTTP).
- Real: Of course https://www.amazon.com (A good URL, an actual HTTPS, nothing sketchy added after).
- Red Flag: Misspelling or no HTTPS
Banking Websites:
- Fake: www.bankofamerica-security-check.net (Adding words like “security”, as a way of urging someone to click to the link)
- Real: www.bankofamerica.com (Similar to before a good URL and an HTTPS)
- Red Flag: Including in extra words and an obvious Phishing attack
Social Medias login:
– Fake: www.facebook-login-help.co (using “.co” extension to falling for the commercial site and fake login page)
– Real: www.facebook.com (Obvious correct domain, secured site)
– Red flags: Asking for unnecessary personal info requests and browser warnings.
Week 7 – Journal Entry 7: Review the following ten 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).
1st image: Person with the laptop: The person is most likely deeply focused on the laptop along with the task at hand. It showcases a scenario in which users might be working with some delicate information but they could also be prone to vulnerabilities such as human errors like weak passwords, unsecured connections, or phishing attacks
2nd image: Office Dog: The image showcases the dog using a piece of technology (laptop) which reflects how important it is for a user to understand general technological security. It displays its humor by showcasing that not everybody with a device may be equipped to handle any cybersecurity measures, similar to how users without technical training may struggle with even with the best practices.
3rd image: Sunset laptop user: The individual in the image may feel a sense of tranquility and calmness from the environment, they may also believe that they’re “setup” is secured however, they might exposing themselves to various cybersecurity threats such as unsecured connections or even eavesdropping.
Week 8 – 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? – YouTubeLinks to an external site.
After reviewing the video, it appears that the media exaggerates most of its hacking scenes in movies and TV shows, making the concept of cybersecurity look fast and effortless. On the other hand, Real-world hacking isn’t like what the people imagine, it takes a lot more time and effort and some expertise in the field. Some technical terms mentioned such as SQL injections or polymorphic code are actually accurately portrayed in some shows, just the process itself is simplified for the viewers entertainment. The dramatization of the hacking scenes influences the public’s understanding, thus making cybersecurity seem not as complex than it truly is.
Week 9 – Journal Entry 9 – Watch this Video: Social media and cybersecurityLinks to an external site.
Complete the Social Media Disorder scaleLinks to an external site.. 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?
After completing The Social Media Disorder (SMD) Scale, I’ve only score only a 2 out of 9, with “yes” for feeling dissatisfied when I’m not using social media (Tolerance) and also lying about usage (deception). From what I’ve gathered from the scale, a score of 5 or more showcases problematic use, but my results doesn’t seem have any significant use.
The Scale was adapted from the DSM-5’s criteria for addiction, analyzing behaviors like being preoccupied, withdrawal, and also deception. White it does effectively identifies chronic and unhealthy social media habits, cultural, technological, and social factors do lead to vary patterns of worldwide use, showcasing how social media affects different populations.
Week 10 – Journal Entry 11: Watch this videoLinks to an external site.. As you watch the videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYtmuHbhmS0Links to an external site., 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.
After viewing the video, the cybersecurity analyst role career emphasizes the social themes around adaptability. resilience. and also continuous learning in response to adapting technological changes and other emerging threats. Social behaviors such as networking and community-building play a huge role, as analysts greatly benefit from engaging with other peers, whether if it is through professional meetups or online forums. Also, the job requires a strong sense of responsibility and ethics, as not only these analysts protect data but people as well from any potential cyber threats. The narrative with salary and job competition varies in regions it also highlights the social dynamics around regional collaboration, competition, and the significance of flexible skill-building. With these social aspects, they reflect on the importance of individual agency and also community support in adapting in a field driven by constant evolution and the high stakes involved.
Week 10 – Journal Entry 10:
Read this and write a journal entry summarizing your response to the article on social cybersecurity
After reviewing the article on social cybersecurity in “Military Review”, it showcases how the digital manipulation of social narratives can lead to destabilizing societies and having an impact on national security. It goes on how hostile actors would use social media to influence public and sort of skew the narrative thus creating challenge in differentiating discourse from orchestrated disinformation. This article also puts an emphasis on the importance of developing strategies for these threats which includes, fostering digital literacy, monitoring how information flows, and also strengthening societies resilience against digital influence campaigns. By following this approach, it complements conventional cybersecurity by addressing both the human and social dimensions of various cyberthreats.
Week 11 – Journal Entry 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 social sciences theories relate to the letter.
Viewing the case of the Glasswasherparts.com data breach, it appears both economics and social science theories showcases critical impacts. From an economics perspective, Agency Theory undermines the accountability of the platform provider by acting on behalf of Glasswasherparts.com and also, failing to secure the customer’s data, all the while, Behavioral Economics shows us how the customers’ purchasing decision could have influenced any future breaches. Social Science theories such as, “Social Contract Theory” displays how breaches can deter trust between customers and companies, all the while, Risk Society Theory, puts an emphasis on the need for both transparency and risk management. With these theories together, it shows how data breaches affect not only financial decisions but also the trust in digital services.
Week 11 – 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 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.
The article showcases the effectiveness of having bug bounty programs, where companies would “motivate” ethical hackers to find vulnerabilities within their systems. The article highlights how these policies could potentially align with cost-benefit principles within their economics, thus putting a balance between rewards with potential savings from avoiding most breaches. The findings in the article discuss how having these bug bounties could improve security but also enact a collaboration between companies and the cybersecurity community, although some challenges such as, program management and determining the said rewards still remain a question still to this day, and finding common ground between the two seems like something pretty complex.
Week 12 – Journal Entry 14: Andriy Links to an external site.SlynchukLinks to an external site. Links to an external site.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.
After viewing the article, it lists some common online activities that may have unintentionally violated laws, such as pirating content through torrenting or any other unofficial streaming services, cyberbullying, search for prohibited material, and data collection on children without any type of consent. These offenses can be serious because they breach intellectual property rights, harming individuals, or even violating privacy laws like COPPA. They can carry important legal, social, and ethical consequences if not checked regularly.
Week 15 – Journal Entry 15: Digital Forensics | Davin Teo | TEDxHongKongSalon– YouTubeLinks to an external site.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 viewing Davin Teo’s Tedx Talk on digital forensics, it gave me some insights on how this field connects itself to social sciences and how his so called “unconventional” career pathway shaped his expertise in the field. Teo’s journey stood out to me because it’s rooted in a combination of technical aptitude and the understanding of overall human behavior, which plays itself into the central part of social sciences.