The topic that I found to be the most interesting, or intriguing, is the material from Week 5 where we learned about the many different possible threats to network security. I had a general understanding that there are threats to networks, but I had no idea the true gravity of the types of threats that people can use for malicious intent. I believe the only ones I knew of prior to that week were basic forms of viruses and malware, however that was when I discovered the method of Smurfing, phishing, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and Social Engineering. Lack of awareness is a threat to anyone so I'm glad I was able to discover these threats that could cause damage to my networks in the future. 

My favorite part was the opposite of network threats, which is network security or prevention methods. Some threats cannot be prevented but there are mitigating ways to help prevent total data loss. Such as making sure that there is considerable training for the organization on network security and privacy measures. It's a tedious task that many would find insignificant, but it can save a lot of stress and problems from occurring in the future. Cybersecurity is paramount to any organization's success through means of prevention or damage mitigation.

That week alone really made me reconsider my major and whether or not I should switch majors or switch my concentration from General to Cybersecurity Management.

B.) Network monitoring is a very interesting tool that seems like it can help networking professionals monitor, troubleshoot, and improve their networks. According to TEK-Tools, "The basic function of the following network monitoring protocols can be categorized into five actions: mapping, monitoring, discovery, notification, and report ("Network Monitoring: Protocols, Best Practices, and Tools | Tek-Tools," 2020)." In class, each student picked one and discussed its capabilities briefly, however it would be very interesting to test the tools and see the advantages and disadvantages of these tools on real networks. Additionally, digging in and seeing the data feeds the dashboards that allow networking professionals to glance at different aspects of their networks and then make decisions about those networks.

These tools seem like they would provide value to beginner networking professionals and seasoned networking wizards alike. Although not all of these monitoring tools are created equally it is very interesting to compare, contrast and review each of these tools. Many of these tools have AI which can provide useful suggestions on ways to improve network performance, as well as possible bottlenecks or vulnerabilities. Additionally, these tools can help networking professionals keep their networks secure through port monitoring and network monitoring. The week we covered these tools it was easy to get lost reading reviews and watching review videos, then comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each tool. These tools are fascinating and the protocols, metrics, and data that drive them are all very interesting as well.