Brittany's Cyber Corner

Throughout this course, I’ve learned how deeply connected network security and privacy are to the fundamentals of information technology. As someone working in fraud prevention and aiming to become a cybersecurity analyst, these two areas are not just topics of interest. They are at the heart of my career path. Understanding how computers operate is essential in cybersecurity. In both my coursework and real-world job experience, I’ve seen how systems process and transmit data and how cyberattacks can exploit those processes. The textbook introduced the IPOS model (input, processing, output, and storage), which helped me understand how each stage is a potential entry point for threats. Tools like Scratch also helped me understand basic program execution by showing how logic flows in real time using motion, control, and event blocks. Hardware components such as the CPU, memory, and storage devices are critical in securing information systems. Attackers often target these components using...

Cybersecurity is no longer just a concern for large organizations; it has also become essential for individuals. With so much of our personal and financial information stored online, information and system security play a vital role in safeguarding people and businesses from increasing cyber threats. Two of the most common and dangerous threats today are malware (particularly ransomware) and phishing attacks. These attacks can result in significant harm, including data breaches, financial loss, and identity theft. Malware is malicious software designed to harm, exploit, or turn off devices, systems, or networks. A specific and highly disruptive form of malware is ransomware, which encrypts a user's data and demands payment in exchange for access. These attacks often begin when a user unknowingly clicks on a harmful link or downloads a suspicious file. Once inside the system, ransomware can spread rapidly, especially in environments without adequate security protocols. As noted by M...

As a Fraud Advisor in the credit card department of a bank, I witness everyday just how essential technology is to protect customers and keeping operations running smoothly. In today’s fast-paced banking environment, computers and secure digital systems are not optional. They are the backbone of fraud detection, communication, and customer protection. One of the most impactful technologies I work with is our real-time fraud detection system. It automatically flags unusual activity on customer accounts, allowing us to act quickly before the situation escalates. Without this system, identifying threats would take much longer, giving fraudsters more time to cause severe damage. Platforms like FICO® Falcon® Fraud Manager use predictive analytics and machine learning to detect up to 50 percent more fraud than traditional rule-based methods (Falcon Fraud Manager, 2025). This level of accuracy helps keep customer accounts safer while making fraud prevention faster and more efficient. Computer...

Running the ping and traceroute commands helped me better understand how information travels across the internet. These tools show how fast my computer can reach a website and the path that data takes to get there. When I tested websites like Google and Amazon UK, the results reflected the impact of distance and routing. Google had the fastest ping result with an average response time of 22 milliseconds, while Amazon UK was much slower with an average of 126 milliseconds. This difference makes sense because Google likely has a server closer to my physical location in the United States, while Amazon UK's traffic has to travel farther, possibly across the ocean, adding more delays and "hops" in the process. Traceroute provided a detailed map of each step the data made to reach the destination. These steps, called hops, represent routers between my device and the website's server. The traceroute to Google showed consistent hops with low response times, and a few timed ou...

For a recent course assignment, I documented a full day in my life, my 30th birthday, using three types of application software: a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a presentation tool. Each program allowed me to organize, present, and reflect on how I spent my time in a different but valuable way. I began with Microsoft Word to create a journal-style entry detailing the day's events. From my early morning workout to family dinner and evening meditation, I used Word's formatting tools, including bullet points, bold headings, and alignment, to structure my thoughts. The platform made it easy to reflect on the experience in a clean, readable format. Next, I used Microsoft Excel to calculate the duration of each activity and visualize how my time was distributed. I applied formulas such as =SUM() to total my hours and =B3/24 to convert time values into percentages. I also created a pie chart to present my 24-hour day in a visual format. Excel helped me better understand how I bal...

One mobile app I use regularly is Yuka, a free barcode scanner that evaluates the health impact of food and cosmetic products. I rely on this app almost every time I go shopping, which has completely changed how I choose products for myself and my family. With one quick scan, Yuka assigns a score between 1 and 100, along with a rating like poor, bad, good, or excellent. It is beneficial because it doesn’t just tell you what’s wrong with a product. It also recommends healthier alternatives, helping users make better-informed decisions in real time. In terms of usability, Yuka is simple and intuitive. The scan button is centered on the screen as soon as the app opens. Tapping it activates your camera, allowing you to scan a product’s barcode immediately. Within seconds, the app displays a score and color-coded result. The layout is clean and uncluttered, and it’s easy to use with one hand while pushing a cart or shopping with kids. Yuka’s design is not only user-friendly but also very in...

For this project, I created an animated story in Scratch called Magical Fairy using block-based code. At first, I struggled to understand how the blocks were supposed to work together. My fairy wouldn't move, and some blocks were floating around doing nothing. Once I realized that every block had to be connected under the green flag to work properly, everything started to come together. After that, the process became easier and more enjoyable. In my program, I used motion blocks to make the fairy glide across the screen in a magical pattern. I added looks blocks so she could speak, think, and change costumes with glowing effects. I also used sound effects like fairy dust and magic spells to make the scene more engaging. To complete the animation, I added a forest background that matched the theme. Watching the fairy fly, talk, and sparkle in sync was my favorite part of the project. Scratch helped me understand the basics of programming logic without needing to memorize code syntax...