Software Engineers design, construct, and maintain software applications. These can be computer programs, applications, websites, and even video games. Cybersecurity Engineers perform assessments and penetration testing to ensure the hardware and software run securely. Software Engineers and cybersecurity Engineers work closely in a collaborative effort to build and protect cyber systems. Cybersecurity engineers troubleshoot, identify unauthorized access, and offer solutions to the organization’s systems and networks. Whereas Software engineers create and update the applications or systems used, using lessons learned or direct advice from cybersecurity professionals to make the cyber networks safer.

Criminal justice and cybercrime connect in many ways. Cybercrime, sometimes in the form of blackhat hackers perform cybercriminal activity for profit or gain. Many times this illegal activity cost companies very large sums of money. This gets the attention of the criminal justice system (law enforcement, courts, and jails) because it is against the law. Since cyber activities are performed anywhere globally, it’s normally a federal crime in the United States of America. Digital forensics is an overlap between criminal justice and cybercrime. Digital forensics is the investigation of cyber, computers, electronics, or other types of cybercrime. The need for law enforcement to use cyber technology to deter, prevent, and solve crime is happening and improving each year. Cybercrime is a relatively new academic major even offered by Old Dominion University. With the expansion in cyber technology, there is also an increase in cybercrime. In turn, this creates a high demand for professionals from many different backgrounds to combat cyber criminal activities.

References:

Google. (n.d.). 12b – payne-hadzidimova.pdf. Google Drive. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AJ5R5Ia7KLp7GK9Ndt6uAF6ESWYQ9HqI/view 

Cybercrime (Interdisciplinary Studies, B.S.). Old Dominion University. (2023, May 22). https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/undergraduate/cybercrime 

Lparsons. (2022, November 9). Cybersecurity vs. software engineering-which is right for you?. Harvard Extension School. https://extension.harvard.edu/blog/cybersecurity-vs-software-engineering-which-is-right-for-you/