Over the course of my 2nd semester of college, I had to create some small article writeups for CYSE 200T. The articles are shown below:

CIA Triad Writeup

The CIA triad is an information security model that is widely used and was created over time as an article filled with wisdom for security professionals. The abbreviation “CIA” is commonly thought of as the CIA that relates to the American intelligence program while in actuality it means Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. The CIA triad is important in terms of cybersecurity because the funding for the cybersecurity can be better spent since more precise questions about the program can be asked. The CIA triad also guides organizations into implementing better security policies and frameworks. An example of how the CIA triad works is how an ATM works. The two factor authentication that the ATM needs to access a bank account is the confidentiality part of the CIA triad. The integrity part is shown as when a transfer or withdrawal is made, the user’s bank account will show the date and where it happened. Lastly the availability portion of CIA is shown as the machine being publicly accessible for anyone to use.

The two terms, authentication and authorization, can be seen as similar but when someone breaks it down, the differences are easily notable. Authentication is the process of verifying who a user is, while authorization is the process of verifying what they have access to. Authentication also determines whether or not users are who they claim to be and authorization determines what users can access and which ones are denied access. These two terms rely on each other in order to create a reliable and balanced system. An example of these terms could be an organization allowing all of its employees to enter the workplace. This is an example of authentication. Then only a select amount of employees are able to access some of the organization’s hidden information. This is authorization.

SCADA Writeup

The SCADA system stands for supervisory control and data acquisition and refers to industrial control systems that are used to control infrastructure processes such as water and wastewater treatments, gas pipelines, and wind farms. SCADA also controls the facility based processes such as airports, space stations, and ships or industrial processes that include production, manufacturing, refining, and power generation. SCADA systems are centralized and have control over and monitor the entire sites or they can even be complex and spread out over large areas. The interface of the SCADA system is run by a human machine interface which is an apparatus that gives the processed data to the human operated. The human machine interface is linked to the SCADA system’s databases and provides the diagnostic data, management information and trending information, detailed schematics for a certain machine or sensor, maintenance procedures, and troubleshooting guides. The information provided is graphical and shows up as mimc graphs. The SCADA system’s internal hardware is considered to be very dangerous. The wires and electrical currents inside are very unstable so if even a small mistake is made while operating the insides of the SCADA system, the result could be fatal. The security aspect of the SCADA systems are being questioned because they are potential targets to cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare attacks. There are also false beliefs that SCADA systems are safe from these due to the facts that they do not connect to the internet so people think that they are immune from cyber attacks and that because they are secured physically that it is impossible to attack one if the culprit is not there at the site. These theories are false and should be cleared up so workers at an industry do not believe that the system is flawless and safe from any attacks.

Opportunities for Workplace Deviance 

Cyber technology has been very advantageous for many workplaces that function under technology (which is most workplaces nowadays). Some advantages that have come with the implementation of cyber technology could include: heightened security, faster productivity, more accurate calculations, etc. However, with such advancements in technology there are bound to be people who misuse the privilege of being able to access such technology. These groups of people are referred to as deviants. A deviant is a person that chooses to stray away from the norms of society and in doing so, oftentimes result in criminal behavior being one of the main activities a deviant may do. When someone who has knowledge with technology decides to become a deviant, the crisis that follows could be detrimental to a business. Deviants who are well imbursed in technology often become hackers. Hackers have the ability to access private information and can even release said information to the mass at the click of a few buttons. Hackers are also able to hinder the work of another individual if the individual is working via computer. One of the sole reasons the need for cyber security is rising is because of the increasing amount of attacks that hackers are doing. They are able to target anything from a range of small businesses to large corporations such as Apple and Windows. Some hackers also go undercover by earning their right to work at a corporation and gain access to the use of new technology. They then use their top of the line gear to infiltrate other companies and can plot the downfall of the company with ease.