Assignment
objective: To find a cybersecurity industry best
practice or developing situation (of notable gravity) to bolster a position for
or against a course of action to be used by the information recipient.
Assignment
instruction(s): (1) Choose a topic of interest from
those provided by the instructor; (2) conduct open source research; (3) conduct
a cost-benefit analysis of three to four possible solutions to the issue you
chose; (4) Support why the solution you chose as the best is the best compared
to the alternatives you were able to find (*Note: two reasons maximum for each
alternative will suffice); (5) cite ALL of the information (*Note: the
format of the citation is of no concern. What does count is the instructor’s
ability to go to the sources themselves upon receipt of your work).
Learning
effect: To introduce students to verbiage related
to (advanced) concepts governing practices within the global operational sphere
of cybersecurity, and allow students to both recognize and justify these
concepts’ application(s).
Due
date: Hard (physical) copy due at the beginning of
class #4 unless otherwise instructed; soft (digital) copy ALSO to be
sent to instructor’s JHU email account by beginning of class.
Format: 4 pages maximum; double-spaced; graphics, addenda or any other
additions do NOT count towards the 4 page maximum.
Thresholds
for grading: The paper that receives a “good grade”
will have provided a number of the most contemporary alternatives as solutions
to the issue being discussed. The argument for the most appropriate to act
on/or the manner in which to act (if the imminent event option is chosen) will
be the result of the practical (i.e., real world) applications, or
shortcomings, of these options.
The papers that receive the “best grade(s)”
will have provided the maximum number of the most contemporary alternatives as
solutions to the issue being discussed. The argument for the most appropriate
to act on/or the manner in which to act (if the imminent event option is
chosen) will be the result of the practical (i.e., real world) applications, or
shortcomings, of these options. The likely enhancement of a contemporary
alternative, for instance, or lateral thinking which dictates the new
application (in a different field) of a previously used best practice from
another area of study are what are sought for this level of quality in thought.
Again, some conceptualization may be necessary, but MUST be very, very well
supported.
Suggested
list of topic areas from which to choose:
1.
Cyber insurance
2.
Internet-of-Things (I-o-T)
security
3.
Medical sector security
4.
Ransomware
5.
Security of voting machines
6.
Insider threats
7.
ChatGPT use in criminal
activity
8.
Autonomous vehicles
9.
Cryptocurrency security
10. Central bank digital currency
11. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)