Course Grade Received: A
Cybersecurity, Technology, and Society
This course introduced foundational concepts in information technology and cybersecurity, including system components, networking basics, and core security principles. It provided a baseline understanding of how computing systems operate and how security is applied across modern digital environments.
🧠 Cybersecurity Concepts in Practice
This course established my foundational understanding of how systems, networks, and users interact within a cybersecurity context. I began analyzing technology not just for functionality, but for potential vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and security risks.
🛡️ Core Frameworks & Principles
- Basic networking concepts (IP addressing, protocols)
- System architecture fundamentals
- Introduction to cybersecurity principles
- CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability)
- Basic risk awareness and threat identification
🔍 Applied Knowledge & Analysis
- Identified core components of computing systems and their security implications
- Analyzed basic network communication and potential points of vulnerability
- Applied foundational cybersecurity concepts to simple system scenarios
- Recognized common threats and basic mitigation strategies
- Developed an understanding of how misconfigurations can lead to security risks
🧠 Security Mindset Development
This course introduced the importance of thinking about technology from a security perspective early on, emphasizing that even basic systems and configurations can introduce risk if not properly understood and managed.
🔗 Course Topics & Practical Exposure
- System components and architecture
- Networking fundamentals (TCP/IP basics)
- Operating system basics
- Introduction to cybersecurity concepts
- Basic troubleshooting and system analysis
- Understanding user roles and access control
🧰 Key Skills & Topics
- IT Fundamentals
- Networking Basics
- Cybersecurity Foundations
- System Analysis
- Risk Awareness
- Troubleshooting
Course Material
Ensuring Accessibility when Implementing the CIA Triad
♿ An analytical paper arguing that cybersecurity policies must proactively address accessibility gaps when implementing the CIA Triad, proposing human-centered design frameworks to reduce the digital divide for older adults and people with disabilities.
The CIA Triad & the AAA Framework
🔐 A foundational analysis comparing the CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) with the AAA Framework (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting), examining how these complementary models work together to structure enterprise security design.
Human Factors: A CISO’s Response to Human Error & Threats
🧠 A position paper examining how CISOs must account for human error as a primary attack vector, analyzing social engineering, insider threats, and the organizational strategies needed to build a security-aware culture from the top down.
Exploring Attacks on Availability: Rootkits
🦠 An analysis of rootkit malware as a direct attack on system availability, examining how rootkits achieve persistence, evade detection, and compromise the integrity of operating systems — and the countermeasures defenders use to identify and remove them.
ICS SCADA: Their Role & Importance
⚙️ An overview of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and SCADA infrastructure, examining their critical role in managing physical systems such as power grids and water treatment facilities, and why their cybersecurity vulnerabilities carry real-world consequences.