ePortfolio entry #2

The ethics of data storage is a hot topic. The amount of data that companies are gathering about us is staggering, and it raises ethical concerns about privacy, security, and what happens when this data is “hacked”?

Data collection encompasses almost every aspect of our lives. When we interact with online platforms, browse websites, or use apps, we unknowingly leave a digital record. This record is composed of huge amounts of data, which includes our web history, search queries, social media activity, location information, and even biometric data. Companies collect this data to gain insights into our preferences, behaviors, and interests to deliver targeted ads.

However, the accumulation of such extensive personal data has tentacles that reach into ethical challenges. Many individuals would likely feel uneasy knowing that their digital activities are being constantly monitored, analyzed, and stored. The idea that companies have an entire profile of our online activity and personal information raises concerns about invasion of privacy, data breaches and possibly identity theft.

The US faces an interesting dynamic when it come to their cybersecurity posture. The United States has an extremely wide “attack surface”. The United States has a huge digital infrastructure with tons of high value targets. Billion-dollar F500 companies, weakly protected and highly vulnerable critical infrastructures, world celebrities, Universities and trade secrets, and last but not the least the US Military. There is a seemingly endless supply of valuable information and targets. Its also a widely known phenemenon that the US also lacks a skilled cybersecurity workforce. So you have this giant kingdom with many castles and vast resources and the knights guarding it are under skilled and there’s not enough to protect it all. Also everyone wants to attack you. China on the other hand is a high value target. The difference is they breed cyber talent at an amazing rate. For instance in the US military, an enlisted “cybersecurity/cyberwarfare” soldier/sailor/marine/airman can come in and have absolutely zero prior experience with “tech”. The most experience they have is using snapchat and Instagram. They will be trained, but you could probably receive the same knowledge by reading a Security+ manual. And by the time they report to a duty station and get “on the job” training and gain competency in their role, in will be time for them to PCS and get experience doing somehting entirely different in order for them to be “well rounded”. In other words not very good at anything. In China they have a large population and children are being taught to program as fast as they can read. However I am not downplaying that the US is home to an extremely skilled and innovative technical workforce. There is a reason China aims to steal the IP of the US instead of creating their own.