Find at least 2 cloud-based systems that you use and write up a brief description of each.

Both Amazon and Zoom use a distributed network system or a cloud.

Amazon is an online store where you can find anything from new shoes to a nice mug to gift your grandmother.

Zoom is a cloud-based communications platform used for video conferences, meetings, webinars, etc.

Would this application/system work as well NOT in the cloud?

As Amazon is web-based it is essential that they have an agile way to store complex data without the need for a local device. Without the cloud network, the processing speed would diminish, and more complex problems might arise due to the mass amounts of confusing data.

One of the features that make Zoom unique is the fact that it is an entirely cloud-based system. Without the cloud, Zoom would not be able to offer the many important services that it currently operates.

What are the advantages of having this system on a distributed network?

The main advantages of a cloud network are speed, ease of access for users, and the organizational abilities that the IT department has access to.

Do you have any security or privacy concerns when using this system?

Using anything online comes with its risks but there are no significant concerns I have when using either Amazon services or Zoom.

What were the top three social media sites, in terms of traffic, in 21-22? List them in order of popularity. 

The top three social media sites were Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp. Facebook has 2.934 billion monthly active users, YouTube has 2.515 billion, and WhatsApp has at least 2 billion monthly active users.

Provide a brief summary of how each social media site works and why people use it.

Facebook is a social networking site that helps you connect with friends and family. It is mostly used by consumers to stay in touch with loved ones while companies use it to best connect with their audience as it is the most used social media site across all ages.

YouTube is a free video-sharing app that allows users to create and upload their own videos to share with people. Consumers use it to watch fun and entertaining videos, follow or research brands and products, keep up with the news and current events, or post and share videos.

WhatsApp is a free multiplatform messaging app that allows users to make video or voice calls and send text messages through the internet. This is used to stay in touch with friends and family members.

What are “demographics” and why is it important in social media?

Demographics are statistics that describe populations and their characteristics. Knowing the people in your target market allows you to plan strategically for future trends and consumer demands. The different types of social media have various uses that are attractive to certain demographics.

Explain any demographics that stand out among the three social media sites you listed above. (More popular with a specific age group, are the majority of users male or female, married or single, employees or self-employed, etc.)

Facebook is enjoyed by the largest amount of people, and it is used by all ages, but it is most popular with 35 to 44-year-old women and 25 to 44-year-old men to stay in touch with family and friends.

An interesting demographic for YouTube is which county has the most active users on the platform which is India.  India has the largest YouTube user population, with 467 million active users. With 247 million users, the USA has the next largest user base for the platform.

WhatsApp is the most popular with 45 to 64-year-old women and men to stay connected to loved ones.

On average, how much time do users spend on each social media site during a day, week, or month? Provide a resource that supports your answer.

On Facebook users spend an average of 33 mins a day. Though some people may spend hours and hours on YouTube a day most people spend an average of 19 minutes watching YouTube daily. WhatsApp users spend an average of 28 minutes a day on their app.

Which of the three social media networks is growing the fastest? Why do you think that is?

Out of these three social media sites, WhatsApp has been growing the fastest. It is becoming increasingly popular for international communication as international SMS can be quite expensive.

How are the majority of visitors accessing these three sites (computer, mobile device, tablet)?

The majority of people who use Facebook use a computer to access the site while the majority of users of YouTube and WhatsApp use mobile devices, especially phones.

Sources:

https://revive.digital/blog/most-popular-social-media/

https://datareportal.com/social-media-users

https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/average-daily-time-on-social-media

Find one concrete example of “bad behavior” in the online space. In your blog post for this week, briefly summarize what happened…

Who was involved, and what was the outcome?

Experian is a data managing system that connects consumers to banks, businesses, and investors. Experian experienced a hack in October 2013 that resulted in the leak of 200 million personal records of users. The leak included sensitive information like names, addresses, social security numbers, driver’s licenses, and dates of birth. According to Experian, it was targeted against those who applied for financing through T-Mobile from 2013 through 2015, affecting over 15 million users.

Was there financial loss or damage to someone’s reputation?

This affected the reputation of Experian and all the users whose personal information got leaked as they were left vulnerable to identity theft. This has led to numerous privacy concerns, with those who use Experian questioning the validity of the security measures they have in place. There have been multiple hacks of the Experian servers in recent years and many users experienced identity theft because of the information that had been leaked. The results of identity theft can be disastrous to anyone’s life.

Were the criminals held accountable?

The criminals responsible for the breach were not found or punished. Nevertheless, Experian assured the public that law enforcement had been notified and was looking into the matter. As it was a remote hack connected to T-Mobile’s servers and they didn’t become aware of the breach for two years it was virtually impossible to track down the perpetrators.

What practical lessons can we learn as a result of this example (i.e., what will you do to avoid being similarly victimized?)

Something we can do to avoid a similar issue is to check the security measures of the sites we give our private information. By double-checking this, we can better ensure the security and privacy of our important information. There is also something a company like Experian could have done to better protect the information entrusted to them like hiring a group of “white hats” that would attempt to break into their system and alert them of any holes or vulnerabilities. Some things to be wary of and stay better protected from are social engineering attempts, unreliable websites, strange USBs, and unprotected internet connections. Some active steps you can use are VPNs, strong passwords, and trusted data-managing systems.

Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/01/experian-hack-t-mobile-credit-checks-personal-information

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2022/07/experian-you-have-some-explaining-to-do/

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/10/experian-breach-affects-15-million-consumers/

Know your enemy: As of Summer 2022, what are 5 sources/types of potential digital threats to your organization?

Five types of potential digital threats to an organization are Social Engineering Attacks, Third Party Exposure, Configuration Mistakes, Poor Cyber Hygiene, and Ransomware Attacks.

Social engineering relies on human mistakes and manipulating people to gain access to a system. Email impersonation would be an example of this by pretending to be someone you trust to get information, money, or access to data.

Third-party exposure is a way of targeting a less protected network with privileged data to access your information. Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram experienced this when Socialarks, a contractor employed by them, was hacked and personal data got leaked.

Configuration mistakes are human errors in the installation or setup of software that leave the system vulnerable. An employee who has experienced a decline in mental health during the pandemic may become careless during a setup and miss something important.

Poor cyber hygiene is the security habits of individual workers that may be lacking. With weak passwords, no use of a VPN, or the lack of a two-factor authentication system.

Ransomware attacks are threats to publish private data or permanently block access to a system unless a ransom is paid. Once gaining access to a company network a hacker may restrict access to it unless a ransom of $20,000 is paid.

Know yourself: Identify at least 5 digital processes, systems, and/or functions your company has in place. Importantly, address how could those be exploited or manipulated to gain access to valuable corporate or customer data.

The company uses many different digital systems and processes in place for the use of employees like ATS, Collaborative Systems, Delivery systems, Data Managers, and an Online Ordering System for our website and online store.

ATS (applicant tracking system) is a digital system in place to optimize the hiring process of new employees by determining which candidate is best qualified for the position. This system could be exploited to gain information about the employees and other applicants.

Collaborative systems like meeting rooms, chatrooms, and discussion boards are used to gather colleagues together for important meetings or discussions. These websites that our employees frequent could be compromised and used to distribute malware to our network.

Delivery systems like DoorDash, GrubHub, and Instacart are used to deliver our online orders to customers. These third-party contractors could be compromised and used for access to customer data and private information.

Data management systems like Pivotree optimize the data from our online store and keep everything organized. This is also a third-party contractor that could be exploited for data.

Online ordering systems like Self-Point make ordering on our website convenient and personalized for the customer. But once again this is a third party with access to our data that could be hacked.

Develop your strategy: As the chief technology executive, make 5 recommendations that your company should adopt to be safer, more secure, and more reliable.

Some recommendations I would suggest for minimizing the possibility of online attacks would be to use proper data storage software, Train staff, create Stricter protocols, Keep the System Updated, and Minimize the number of third-party contractors we use.

Using the proper data storage software will ensure that the system is protected and there won’t be an excess of data that leads to confusion and vulnerability.

Training the staff in proper cyber hygiene and educating them against social engineering scams will better protect us from the human mistakes that could lead to disaster.

Creating new protocols and updating the systems we use will ensure we are up-to-date and using the best and newest security technologies.

Staying updated will be the highest priority of the IT department so we don’t get left behind or end up using out-of-date security measures that are easily compromised.

Minimizing the number of third parties that we allow access to our network will protect our data from more vulnerable systems.

Sources:

https://www.embroker.com/blog/top-10-cybersecurity-threats-2022/

https://retail-today.com/pivotree-partners-with-gourmet-foods-international-to-boost-digital-commerce-capabilities/

https://www.prweb.com/releases/gourmet_garage_optimizes_online_shopping_and_customer_convenience_with_self_point_e_commerce_solution/prweb15673697.htm

https://www.winsightgrocerybusiness.com/retail-foodservice/how-digital-saved-deli

https://axiomq.com/blog/5-benefits-of-digital-systems-in-business-management/