Cybersecurity, Technology, and Society
This class has taught me cybersecurity in many different areas. I have learned about cybersecurity from an interdisciplinary view, which means looking at it through subjects like business, technology, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, and philosophy. I have also learned how cybersecurity issues connect to culture, politics, laws, ethics, and business. The class teaches how technology can be used for crime and how cybercrime affects people. In addition, I have learned to think more outside the box when it comes to cybersecurity. Overall, this course helps me understand how cybersecurity connects to modern life.
Course Material
Write Up: Hacking Humans
The article Hacking Humans: Protecting Our DNA from Cybercriminals talks about how DNA is the most personal kind of information we have. The author calls it the ultimate PII, which means personally identifying information. This is because your DNA is one of a kind and can’t ever be changed. For example, if your debit card number gets stolen, you can replace it, but you can’t replace your DNA.
The article explains that many people use DNA testing services to learn about their family or health. However, once your DNA is digitized and stored online, hackers could try to steal it. If that happens, they could sell it on the dark web or use it in ways that could harm you. That’s why DNA is so valuable and dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands.
The author also says we don’t always know what companies do with our DNA data. The company might use the DNA for research, sell it to other groups, or even share it with police to help solve crimes. That can be good in some ways, but it’s also scary because people might not realize they gave permission for all that.
The main point is that we need to be careful with our DNA data. Companies that collect it should have strong security to keep it safe. Our DNA is part of who we are, and once it’s out there, we can’t take it back. In the end, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to something as personal as your genetic information.
Write-Up: The CIA Triad
The CIA Triad is important in cybersecurity. The CIA stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. These three parts help keep information safe. Confidentiality means keeping private information so only the right people can see it. For example, using passwords help protect information from others. Integrity means keeping information correct and making sure no one changes it. This helps people trust that the data is real and accurate. Availability means making sure information and systems are always ready to use for the people who are allowed to access them. Backups and updates help keep systems working when something goes wrong. The CIA Triad helps make sure information is private, correct, and easy to access when needed.
Two other important words in cybersecurity are authentication and authorization. Authentication means checking who someone is. Authorization decides what you can do once you’re logged in. Therefore, authentication checks your identity and authorization gives you permission to do certain things. Both are important for keeping information safe.
Write Up – The Human Factor in Cybersecurity
If I was the CISO and only had a small budget, I would spend money on both training people and getting some basic cybersecurity tools. I would probably put more into training because people make mistakes all the time. Teaching everyone how to spot phishing emails, create strong passwords, and avoid risky behavior online can prevent a lot of problems without spending a ton of money.
I would still get some important items like firewalls and antivirus to catch things people might miss. Basically, I would try to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing and still have the tools to help protect us. That way, we’re as safe as we can be without spending too much money.
This is really important because one small mistake can cause big problems, so having both smart people and the right tools keep the whole system safe.