CYSE 201S – Visit PrivacyRights.org to see the type of publicly available information about data breaches. How might researchers use this information to study breaches?

Researchers can use the publicly available information about data breaches on PrivacyRights.org to study various aspects, including the incidents’ frequency, nature, and consequences. By analyzing the data on this website, researchers can identify trends in data breaches over time, such as the types of organizations that are most frequently targeted or the types of data that are most commonly compromised. They can also examine the factors that contribute to data breaches, such as the vulnerabilities in IT systems, the actions of insiders, or the tactics of external attackers.
Researchers can use the information on PrivacyRights.org to study the impact of data breaches on individuals and organizations. For instance, they can investigate the financial costs of data breaches, such as responding to the incident, repairing the damage, and compensating affected individuals. They can also examine the reputational costs of data breaches, such as the loss of trust and credibility that organizations may suffer due to the incident. See the paragraph below from Privacyrights.org about how not everyone enjoys the same protections:

However, five years later not everyone enjoys the same level of protections in their respective state. Each year, we closely analyze each data breach notification statute along key provisions, allowing us to identify disparities in the level of protections that each statute affords. Download our report and use our interactive dashboard (or the underlying database) to compare states’ data breach notification statutes against themselves and across key metrics.

Researchers can use the data on PrivacyRights.org to evaluate the effectiveness of data breach notification laws in different states. By comparing the provisions of these laws across states and over time, they can identify the strengths and weaknesses of these laws and determine whether they are achieving their intended goals. They can also investigate how the implementation and enforcement of these laws vary across states and how they are perceived by affected individuals and organizations.

CYSE 201S – Explain how the principles of science relate to cybersecurity

With Cybersecurity being an ever expanding field, the principles of science have to be applied for the practice to be legitimate. It also helps with general understanding and how the field relates to the multidisciplinary fields. Relativism is the understanding that all things are related. In the context of Cybersecurity, there are many fields that relate to it such as educational system relaying on technology to function, health care system evolving patient charting systems with the technology and the need for updated systems security, and how political systems can influence policy regarding the cybersecurity space. There are various societal systems that are related to the cybersecurity systems and technology.

Objectivity is a principle that promotes an opinion free assessment. This is laced into the research and study of cybersecurity, how the technology should be evolving to address criminal issues and their processes to prevent it. Objectivity principles will help with not letting opinions effect the process of academic research and implementation.

Parsimony is the principle of simplicity. Especially in the information technology field, cybersecurity included, it is very important to be very direct and straightforward. There has to be a need to pinpoint any questions around the field, such as wider societal factors that affect cybercrime.

Empiricism is the study of behavior which are only real to the senses. This is stressing the importance of verified facts, and not depending on opinions and gut reactions. In relation to cybersecurity it can be an assessment of raw data from a set, and implementing this to have actual value in a cybersecurity setting.

Ethical Neutrality is adhering to ethical standards when carrying out research. The relation to cybersecurity is empirically utilizing data in the social science realm, and asking the questions about ethical questions regarding cybersecurity. A classic question or battle is do we strive for ultimate security with no freedom or freedom with the risk of damages in a cybersecurity setting.

Determinism is a principle that means that behavior is cause or influenced by preceding events. This is brought up in the context of cybersecurity when there are questions about what groups of people would carry out internet crimes. Does their societal structure predetermine that they would carry out a cyber crime?

CYSE 201S – Review the NICE Workforce Framework. Are there certain areas that you would want to focus your career on? Explain which areas would appeal the most to you and which would appeal the least.

The NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity is a resource that helps employers develop their workforce. It provides guidelines and categories for various Cybersecurity work. In the selections, there is a diverse arena to select from, especially in pinpointing a specialty.

One category of the NICE Framework is the “Investigate” framework. The interesting specialty in this category is Digital Forensics, which entails collecting, processing, preserving, analyzing, and presenting computer-related evidence supporting network vulnerability mitigation and/or criminal, fraud, counterintelligence, or law enforcement investigations. This is intriguing because its implementing the skill of navigating various networking systems, understanding the vulnerabilities, investigating an intrusion if it happened and how it was done. In my continuing education, the actual ground floor duties of a position that would have this title may not be as actionable as I am imagining, but the idea of it is interesting.

Having to pinpoint as least appealing framework for me doesn’t mean I won’t learn about it or be curious about how it works, so in selecting the category doesn’t mean I would avoid it at all costs. I would choose in the category framework of Operate and Maintain, Customer Service and Technical Support. This position addresses problems within a systems, and appeals to customer requirements for the system, assuming this is a cybersecurity system. Having worked in customer support in various fashions previously, it is not something I would want to get back into. Just to be optimistic and positive, if I were to find myself working in such a position, I would use the opportunity to learn about customer issues, its important to know where there may be issues on the customer interface. Learning this would allow me to gain experience and address the problem in the future.

CYSE 200T – How should we approach the development of cyber-policy and -infrastructure given the “short arm” of predictive knowledge?

It is stated in the Hans Jonas article that initially, the short arm of human power did not call for a long arm of predictive knowledge. An interpretation is that it does not take an elite level of knowledge to understand and carry out ethical actions in the short term, because it can’t determine the long term knowledge. It is argued that human good is the same for all time, and that this assumption can be a framework for ethics, and therefore policy.

With the implementation of modern technology, it is now argued that this stance on short arm ethics has changed. It is stated that since the influence of action in this new technological realm has such a broader and expanding effect, that we have to now take into account our actions because of its widespread implications. Another aspect laced into this is that with this new technological realm, there is also a greater number of people effected by this, and that now the group is responds in its own way where before this wasn’t the case. The example indicated in the Jonas paper is our effect on ecology, how our massive group of human may be affecting the planet. He applies this though to the new technological realm, the fact that this can be applied to what we know now as the internet, and the effects of social media is remarkable.

With this understanding from Hans Jonas, we have to take into account those arguments when developing policy in the cyber realm. Policy has to establish proper ethics of this newer realm. It has to take into account how one person may be able to affect a wide population of people or systems. A real world application of this may be how policy is formed regarding the cybersecurity of a power grid system. The policy has to take into account the potential impact on a single person on a wide spreading system.

CYSE 200T – How does cyber technology impact interactions between offenders and victims?

In the interdisciplinary study of cybercrime, there is also the study of criminal justice in general as a baseline. It was noted that with in-person crimes between offenders and victims, that they would interact in a very specific way. The technological advancements in internet systems has impacted how offenders and victims interact. One of the ways is the physical distance between the 2 groups. Connected internet has given an avenue for a criminal to initiate a crime from a long distance, sometime all the way from other countries speaking another language with different laws. This is complicated even further when a cybercrime happens in a local US state, as some states have varying laws for some of the crimes like cyberstalking and harassment.

Another impact is the usage of possible identity theft to carry out the crimes on the internet. It is one thing to commit these criminal interactions online as the actual person to a victim, the next level is when a criminal has successfully stolen the identity of another person and contacting a victim and abusing their trust. An offender may use this identity to convince a victim to give them confidential information, and also steal their identity as well. This stolen information can be rolled into each other to gain access to a victims banking information, personal information such as a social security number, and possible access to their employment.

These technical advancements also allow some offenders to commit these attempts on a wider scale. More sophisticated attacks can use scripted programs to attack an organization from multiple methods, making it seem like many people are attacking when it is actually just one person or a small group. The victim in this case could be an energy grid system or a hospital network. Cyber technology is obviously used to help protect from such an attack, but sometimes there are technology savvy offenders that know how to use the technology to carry out the crime. They would have intimate knowledge of the systems, find weaknesses, and exploit those weaknesses to their advantage.

CYSE 200T – What is the overlap between criminal justice and cybercrime? How does this overlap relate to other disciplines discussed in this class?

The 2 subjects of criminal justice and cybercrime overlap in many ways. Criminal Justice may be the foundational discipline of a cybercrime study. Criminal Justice studies what the crimes are, who commits these crimes, and why certain portions of societies are more susceptible to commit the crimes. In the study of Cybercrime, it builds off of the fundamentals of the study of criminal justice, and applies it to the specialty of crime in the cyber realm. It is stated that in the broad study of Criminal Justice, there may only be a very small section dedicated to cybercrime. There are studies that indicated that a significant portion of in-person crime is now shifting to the internet. These crimes can apparently fall under the category of white-collar crime. This implies that the people initiating these crimes have certain means, such as higher paying employment, and planning and pre-meditation. The overlap of the definition of white collar crimes to cybercrimes is that access to a computer with internet access shows the increase societal evolution of who commits these crimes.

The study as to why these groups carry out these cyber crimes overlaps into these other disciplines. Studying the emerging groups gets into a Sociological study about how society is evolving into more access to computers and connected internet. This also overlaps into Information Technology when discussing the equipment required to carry out the crimes. The study of criminology highlights how these groups of people use the technology, and can even study which countries these cyber crimes are coming from.

CYSE 200T – How do engineers make cyber networks safer?

System security engineering is essentially laced with everyday utilities such as power grids and fiber optic internet services. These engineering systems can use the SCADA systems to monitor live readings from the systems, and analyze the data for the best practices for efficiency and safety. With the advancement of these systems utilizing RTUs that provide information to the SCADA systems, there is a massive benefit. The systems engineer would use the SCADA to observe the system, and make intelligent decisions on adjustment. In the Systems Security Engineering article, it is stated that the engineers must have a discipline to have a thorough understanding of a problem when they arise, and consider all of the feasible solution options before acting on the solution.

For a thorough analysis of an engineer to make a cyber network safer, they have to participate in all stages of engineering systems implementation. The obvious first encounter is when new systems are being set up. The engineer analyzes the feasibility of the new system in relation to the current engineering process, studies all of the alternatives, and analyzes the potential impact of the new system. The engineer at this stage provides proper security contribution at the concept level.

The other stage in the modification to the current systems. Engineers can participate to reactive modifications to the engineering systems when there are disruptions to the systems. When a cyber-attack happens to a system, the threat is assessed, along with the impact of the attack, then a solution to resume operations. This will make the cyber networks safer by potentially identifying threats and vulnerabilities, and attempting to provide a proper protection from the threat.

Engineers can also contribute to the safety of a cyber network by providing planned upgrades. These system upgrades can provide new capability for the system, with new ways to adjust the specifications of the systems, and provide new reactive methods for protection of the cyber networks.

CYSE 200T – Describe three ways that computers have made the world safer and less safe.

The usage of computers have completely changed the landscape of the world. Single computational devices have assisted greatly in very specific tasks, and with the implementation of connecting the computer across the world, it has evolved the way everything is done, and how we all interact with each other. With this evolving technology, it has provided both safe spaces for systems, but also in some ways created new avenues for less safe world spaces.

One way that computer have made the world safer is immediate verification of identity. In the cyber security realm, this is confirming Who you are. With computers, they can store an identifying photo, and confirm the person somewhere else via a secure connection for verification.

Another example of computer making the world safer if by gathering immense amounts of data of criminal justice. With the usage of computers, there is extensive criminal science data being analyzed to pinpoint behaviors, and how to administer law enforcement more effectively.

Then another way that computer make the world safer is the electronic features certain financial transactions can take place. Applications that utilize digital transactions prevent people from carrying around cash all day, and have reduced the amounts of theft of cash.

Even though those are just a few of the many examples of how computer make the world safer, there are examples of how it has made the world less safe. One example is that computers have gathered such an immense amount of user data, that it attracts attackers to attempt to steal the information. People’s sensitive credit information has been leaked, creating an unsafe environment for their financial position.

Computers also make the world less safe for the fact that governments can carry out sophisticated cyber attacks on another country. The real world example is the Russian government attacked the Ukrainian power grid, which now has severe unsafe consequences.

Finally, another aspect of un safeness due to computers is the breach of security of information for people’s personal information for location and identity. There have been attackers on the internet that have pinpointed where people live, and figure out how to break into their homes for burglary.

CYSE 200T – How can you tell if your computer is safe?

Determining if your computer is safe is a complex assessment of the data integrity and authenticity. One observation of a safe computer is being aware of how healthy the computer performs and looks. Noticing that the computer is running smoothly can be a sign that a computer is safe because a computer that has been compromised can perform slower. Malware such as spyware and adware will slow down a computer or device. Adware will download advertising software on the computer that utilize resources such has the processing power and RAM percentage usage to slow everything else down. Noticing that browsers have ad-ons and excessive pop-ups are signs that adware has infected the computer. Observing that an internet browsing experience is swift and doesn’t have all of those advertising interruptions can be a sign that the computer is safe. The more sinister malware are computer viruses, trojans, spyware, and ransomware. Attempting to see the signs that the computer is infected is a way to see if the computer is safe. Spyware such as key loggers can severely impede secure data management, this effects personal computers at home and businesses all the time. If a computer has fallen prey to a phishing attempt, it may have accidentally installed a key logger that records all of the keystrokes that were done on the computer. This puts everything in a very vulnerable position because user identification and passwords can be stored and exploited across many accounts. One way to check in to see of the websites being visited in a browser is secure is making sure the http link in the browser has as certification verified. This is done through the process of cryptography in support of data integrity and authenticity. Certifications utilizing public and private key encryptions confirm that the website being visited in the browser is authentic, and safe to use.

CYSE 200T – What are the costs and benefits of developing cybersecurity programs in business?

The benefits of developing cybersecurity programs in businesses are justified in the costs. One type of investment in a cybersecurity program a business can do is implementing a program to train employees. They can employ in-house staff to develop these training programs, or hire a cybersecurity consultant contract to train staff on best practices. This can highlight any weaknesses that the employees may have when carrying out their tasks. It also provides guidance on some of the backbone practices of secure behavior. One of the studies indicated that there are differences in regions in how people decide what kind of identity management they adopt. Training employees good practices for using unique passwords, two factor authorization, and not writing down the passwords in a public area promote security.

In studies that evaluate surveys on training, there are guidelines on how to implement this training. In order for the costs of the training to be effective, there are guidelines such as making the training frequent, making it relevant to the employee (such as relevant to the employee’s job role), connecting the relevancy of how the human error can effect the security of the system, and mandating the training from the leadership level. This is also interlaced with a company culture of developing a cybersecurity environment. that maintains security complaince.

In the broad sense, the cost of cybersecurity programs are justified in business expenses. In one of the instructional videos, a Chief Security Officer has to relay to other members of leadership the importance of a cybersecurity program, and why it would be justified. Stating that the passive reassurance of the analogy of a parking lot full of cars prevents low level theft just isn’t enough. For a business, attackers are on a higher level of getting unauthorized access, in the analogy he uses an example of someone waiting for the car owner to open up the door, and then gain access. There is a stressing of the importance of a robust security program to prevent catastrophic business losses and downtime.