Quinn Edmonds
4/17/25
CYSE 201S
Professor Yalpi
Career Paper
I have chosen a chief information officer as my example for the relationship of social science and cybersecurity. I chose this topic mainly because my father is a CIO at a company called M-linqs and has taught me some things now that I have started taking cybersecurity classes. From what we learned in class and from what my dad has told me at the dinner table, I believe I have a good understanding of how to apply some of the concepts we have learned in class this year. My dad has been in the field for a long time and is also the chief security officer because the jobs are tied together.


I’ll be using chapter 5 to better describe what a CIO does. Essentially the chief information officer is the person in charge of protecting the data and making sure everyone on the team knows what they need to know. The attributes needed for success are discussed in this module. Decision making is one of the key aspects of cybersecurity professionals, you need to know when to rely on your team and when you need to step in. My dad earned a series of certifications that he said all cybersecurity
professionals should have, as well he can code in a variety of languages which is not his main task, but he can help with. Teamwork is one of the biggest components of being “Chief” in anything as well as your technical expertise, you won’t be able to handle all the responsibilities of each goal reliably without a team to help you.

Cybersecurity can help diversify our world, by using online centered workspaces. Using M-Linqs as an example, my father works almost entirely from home except when he needs to go get clearance from a government branch, this means people with extreme physical disabilities can be top of the line cybersecurity professionals. For a modern example, some streamers have hired wheelchair bound cybersecurity professionals to moderate their chat without knowing they were ever disabled, just based of skills alone. My dad works with a very diverse amount of people from when I’ve seen video calls. The people in my class show marginalized groups are unimpeded from becoming exceptional cybersecurity professionals and society accepts them based on skills and not any other prejudice. It shows a direct connection between cybersecurity and an increase in diversity, which is wonderful news in today’s age. Also, my dad’s company has a deal with the military for each move from house to house in the military, my dad’s cybersecurity team has defended which directly benefits society at large and can be a way to protect our people.

In conclusion, a CIO can be a role anyone can achieve with the right skills and technical abilities to back them up. Ranging from government contractors and streamers, cybersecurity has a deep reach in society in everyday things, directly benefiting our people. Cybersecurity requires following a path set by top professionals in our society with certifications to conquer on the way to the top. It is a very diverse field that is approachable to anyone with a pc. CIOs require a pinnacle of all these things to achieve success.


Sources:

West, Heather. “Growing a Diverse Workforce in Cybersecurity.” Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law, 27 July 2023, www.centerforcybersecuritypolicy.org/insights-and-research/growing-a- diverse-workforce-in-cybersecurity.
Warn, Dara. “Five Essential Skills for Cisos: A Roadmap to Success in Cybersecurity Leadership.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025, www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2025/01/16/five-essential-skills-for-cisos-a-roadmap-to-success-in-cybersecurity-leadership/.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-edmonds-388baa1?trk=org-employees