Zachary Weaver<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Department of Cybersecurity, Old Dominion University<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interdisciplinary Studies 493: Electronic Portfolio Project<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Gordon-Phan<\/p>\n\n\n\n
August 9, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This paper will reflect on the skills I have gained over the course of my collegiate studies. It will highlight the development of my critical thinking skills. I will cover how I have become more accomplished as a researcher. As well as research, I will elaborate on my ability to analyze the data and information discovered while researching. I will also cover some of the cybersecurity skills I have gained through my education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I have gained critical skills for success over the last five years of college. College has taught me how to conduct research and to analyze the content of that research for the most pertinent information. I have also developed my ability to think critically about problems and issues. I have obtained many skills that pertain to the field of cybersecurity. This last may seem vague, but that is an inherent aspect of cybersecurity as it is a highly interdisciplinary field. The ability to become functionally capable in a variety of skills is critical to success in cybersecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conducting research and analyzing information are incredibly important skills for anyone to develop. I have learned how to take a given topic, research relevant information about it, and analyze the results of my research for the most relevant information. From there, I take my results and incorporate them into my assignments, detailing the relevance of what I have found to what is asked of me. For example, I reviewed an article discussing the human factors involved with cybersecurity after COVID-19 forced workers to work from home. The article discusses how cybersecurity was a difficult goal to achieve because having workers work remotely reduced the benefits of a centralized defense network (Whitty, 2024). The smaller an area is, the easier it is to defend. I was able to read the article, evaluate the information and data within, and provide a detailed breakdown of the article’s content. I use the skills developed from assignments like these in my professional life. I have been able to research topics relevant to my work and incorporate them successfully into the program I am currently building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone can type something into a search engine and copy and paste the information they find. The ability to identify relevant results and evaluate the data within is what is critical to research and analysis. My college journey has consistently required me to do exactly that. Research is not an easy task. It requires patience and understanding of what I am looking for. Once I find the relevant information, I must be able to understand it to be able to create my unique application of the results into my work. However, research and analysis are only a part of the process. I had to refine my ability to look beyond the information that was provided and discern other possible solutions and interpretations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Critical thinking is an extremely important skill in every facet of life, and it is most crucial in the professional world. Throughout one of my classes, I was tasked with submitting journal entries to my ePortfolio. These journal entries required me to review specific topics and critically think about how those topics apply to my career goals. An example of this covered evaluating the principles of science and relating them to cybersecurity. Creating these correlations required critical thinking because they were not explicitly stated during my research. It was my responsibility to achieve enough understanding of both topics to be able to relate them to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In another entry, I evaluated an article covering the threat of social cybersecurity. The article describes how entertainment can be used to influence societies. Nation states can influence enemy countries by releasing information designed to create discord within the target\u2019s population (Beskow, 2019). My responsibility was not only to read and understand the topics in the article. I also had to be able to consider potential threats that the article did not explicitly state. As a student of cybersecurity, it is imperative that I be able to think the same way that malicious actors do. Only through critical thinking can I be a proactive defender rather than a reactive one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ability to think critically is a large stepping stone to success in any environment. It is a skill that requires an individual to be able to evaluate information and problems beyond the obvious. I had to learn how to widen my perspective and look at issues in new and unconventional ways. There is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution to most problems. This is why critical thinking is so important. I have maximized my progress with this skill and incorporated it into both my collegiate and professional life. I have achieved great collegiate success because of my adaptation of critical thinking into my assignments. This is even more important for my professional development. I will only be a student for so long, but I am already working full-time, and I want to continue to ascend in my professional roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cybersecurity is a demanding field that requires an interdisciplinary approach to learning and skills. Many people automatically assume that this is a field focusing on technological prowess. However, it is far broader than technical skill. Cybersecurity also requires an understanding of human nature and social interaction. This is commonly referred to as social engineering. Many malicious agents have learned that they can gain access to digital resources without complex computer skills. An excellent example involves gaining access to secured areas meant for authorized personnel. A threat actor will approach a secure area carrying a large amount of food, such as pizza or donuts. The combination of someone carrying a large load and tasty treats can cause an authorized person to lower their guard and open the door for someone that otherwise would not be allowed inside. Once they make it inside, the threat actor can attempt to sneak further into the area and tap into the network by gaining access to a device that is behind the outer defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A real-world example of how social engineering can create a vulnerability is the ransomware attack carried out against the Colonial Pipeline. This attack involved social engineering due to the impact it had on millions of people. Most organizations compromised by ransomware refuse to pay the ransom. The Colonial Pipeline ransom was paid because the attack caused a massive fuel shortage across fourteen states, among other problems. The pressure to resolve the attack as quickly as possible and the need to restore the pipeline to full operation made it so that the CEO had no choice but to pay the ransom (Kerner, 2022). There was another social aspect to this attack that has been highly scrutinized. A company named Bitdefender publicly revealed it had discovered a flaw in the same ransomware that was deployed against Colonial Pipeline. Bitdefender\u2019s announcement came just a few weeks before the attack. This alerted the attackers to the flaw and allowed them to fix it before their next attack (Dudley, 2021). The knowledge I have gained about social engineering has better prepared me for recognizing and defending against the risks involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cybersecurity also requires knowledge of networking principles and setup. I completed a project that required me to evaluate a fictional multi-story school building and describe in detail what equipment would be needed to establish a functioning network. This meant that I would need to understand cabling capabilities over distance, find an appropriate server that could cover all of the school\u2019s needs, purchase the correct amount of switches and patch panels, etc. I had to incorporate everything I understood about networking into this project. This ties into cybersecurity because it is not enough to create a network. I must be able to protect that network from internal and external attacks. This defense starts with identifying an appropriate firewall solution that I could incorporate into my network design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also had to learn how to operate the Linux operating system. Linux is widely used because it is an open-source operating system that is free to use. It is also considered highly secure, and it can manage large enterprise networks. Most computer users are familiar with Windows operating systems, but cybersecurity demands a more comprehensive skillset. One of my assignments required me to demonstrate my ability to execute commands in Linux. This is important because, at its core, Linux is run on the command line. This means that instead of using a mouse and pointer to select what you want to do, you must type commands into an interface to complete tasks. Linux has an incredible number of commands available. So, it is important to establish a baseline of essential commands to be able to use Linux effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These skills only scratch the surface of what I have learned in my time as a cybersecurity student. I have also gained knowledge on how to ethically hack into different systems. This is a delicate skill to learn because, in most situations, hacking is an illegal activity. In specialized environments provided by Old Dominion University, I was able to refine these skills. They are important to have because they enable me to understand how attackers will attempt to gain access through technical weaknesses inherent in many systems. Ethical hacking also creates an understanding of the importance of security patches. These are critical to close discovered vulnerabilities and prevent attackers from penetrating your systems through them. However, my career has taken an unexpected turn away from cybersecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am currently working as a medical simulation technician. I recently accepted this position, and I fully expect to work in the world of medical simulation until I retire. However, this does not mean that my time as a cybersecurity student has been for naught. One of the key technologies in medical simulation is wireless networking. Many professional information technology teams have very strict policies regarding company networks. These policies can make it very difficult for medical simulation technologies to communicate with each other. My knowledge of networking principles gives me the ability to create standalone networks to connect simulators. These networks do not connect to the Internet, which reduces their exposure to attack by a great deal. The remaining attack vectors are relatively simple to defend from external attacks. In this way, I can apply my knowledge of cybersecurity, networking, and medicine to create a system of devices that communicates seamlessly without exposing company resources to attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My cybersecurity education has also given me the tools to perform fast and effective troubleshooting. Many of these simulation technologies have complex computers integrated into their systems. When these computers fail, many users would be at a loss for how to fix them. My classes have not only taught me the likely source of a variety of issues, but they have also given me the problem-solving tools to work from the least to most complex solutions as quickly as possible. This accelerated problem-solving means that the devices I work with are unlikely to be out of commission for a very long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The skills I have gained when researching will suit me well as I grow this medical simulation program. My organization has just begun to scratch the surface of the technologies available for programs such as these. I will be researching screen-based simulators, full-body patient simulators, and virtual reality simulators. (Simulation Operations Specialist, 2025<\/em>). I will have to apply my critical thinking skills to these various technologies when evaluating how they can best be deployed as our program grows. We will be providing education and training to professionals at every level of the medical provider ladder. It is my job to understand how each level can benefit from the different technologies on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have been able to successfully adapt and refine my research, analysis, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary cybersecurity skills into a rapidly developing medical simulation career. These skills can be applied to any discipline to create success. I can find important information and evaluate it for the components I need to adapt my processes and procedures. I know how to look at problems beyond the obvious and create solutions that would otherwise not be found. I also have a diverse range of tools that allow me to run an effective combination of medical and technological devices. My collegiate experiences have set me up for levels of success I never expected to be within reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beskow, D. M. (2019, March). Social Cybersecurity an Emerging National Security Requirement<\/em>. Army University Press. https:\/\/www.armyupress.army.mil\/Journals\/Military-Review\/English-Edition-Archives\/Mar-Apr-2019\/117-Cybersecurity\/b\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dudley, Renee, and Daniel Golden. \u201cThe Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Hackers Had a Secret Weapon: Self-Promoting Cybersecurity Firms.\u201d Nextgov.Com<\/em>, ProPublica, 10 July 2023, www.nextgov.com\/cybersecurity\/2021\/05\/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-hackers-had-secret-weapon-self-promoting-cybersecurity-firms\/174253\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kerner, Sean Michael. \u201cColonial Pipeline Hack Explained: Everything You Need to Know.\u201d TechTarget<\/em>, 26 Apr. 2022, www.techtarget.com\/whatis\/feature\/Colonial-Pipeline-hack-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Simulation Operations Specialist (varying levels). University of Virginia. (n.d.). <\/em>https:\/\/jobs.virginia.edu\/us\/en\/job\/R0074315\/Simulation-Operations-Specialist-varying-levels<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whitty, M. T., Moustafa, N., & Grobler, M. (2024). Cybersecurity when working from home during COVID-19: Considering the human factors. Journal of Cybersecurity<\/em>, 10<\/em>(1). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/cybsec\/tyae001<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Zachary Weaver Department of Cybersecurity, Old Dominion University Interdisciplinary Studies 493: Electronic Portfolio Project Dr. Gordon-Phan August 9, 2025 Abstract This paper will reflect on the skills I have gained over the course of my collegiate studies. It will highlight the development of my critical thinking skills. I will cover how I have become more… <\/p>\n