Information security analysts protect an organization’s computer systems and networks. While largely considered a career focused on technological aspects of security, this role benefits from viewing cybersecurity as a multidisciplinary field and how cybersecurity relates to social structures. Information security analysts have a career which highlights the relativistic nature of cybersecurity, requires an understanding…

Of the activities outlined by Andriy Slynchuk in their article “11 Illegal Things You Unknowingly Do on the Internet,” I believe that sharing of others’ private information, cyberbullying, recording VoIP calls without consent, falsifying your identity, and collecting information about minors to be the five most serious offenses. These activities are the ones which, in…

           “An empirical study of ransomware attacks on organizations: an assessment of severity and salient factors affecting vulnerability,” written by Lena Y. Connolly et al and published in the Journal of Cybersecurity in December of 2020, collected quantitative and qualitative on fifty-five instances of ransomware attacks across fifty organizations in the United Kingdom and the…

            I have taken a Social Media Disorder scale questionnaire. I scored a 2/9, which is below the threshold for what could be diagnosed as Social Media Disorder, which I think is accurate, at least as far as this quiz was concerned. I believe the questions asked, while reflective of the most disruptive behaviors, do…

            When I think about how cybersecurity is portrayed in popular entertainment, my immediate thought is towards the depiction of hackers. Specifically, that hacking is typically shown to be an innate talent. Rarely, if ever, is the process of learning to hack depicted. I suppose this must be the case as hacking is nearly always…

            Hacking for financial gain is the motivation which makes the most sense to me, especially as it’s a well-established motive for many other types of crime. Political motivations would be next. While perhaps not justifiable, many people are willing to perform heinous deeds for what they see as good reasons. Entertainment and boredom are…

            “New Trends in Online Crime Using Social Networking Sites and Apps Against Children: Police-Based Longitudinal Research,” written by Gonzalo Torquemada de la Hoz and published in the International Journal of Cyber Criminology in June of 2021, presents readers with the results of archival research on the use of social networking sites (SNS) and social…

            It’s interesting to look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in the light of how modern technology has changed our relationship with these given needs. These days many of our physiological needs can be obtained easily through online interactions. We can order groceries and clothing and pay rent online. One corollary to this however is…

PrivacyRights.org is a fantastic resource for cybersecurity researchers looking for information on data breaches. It contains an exhaustive list of laws per state on the disclosure of data breaches and what protections citizens have within those states. Additionally, the website contains a spreadsheet containing an absolute goldmine of data regarding past data breaches, including when…

In studying cybersecurity as a social science, we must always adhere to the scientific principles of relativism, objectivity, parsimony, ethical neutrality, and determinism. Relativism refers to the interrelatedness of all things: technology drives changes in social systems, and current social systems drive changes in technology. When conducting research, one must conduct themselves with objectivity, no…