CST 300 Week 6

Exploring Capstone Ideas

As part of my journey towards completing my degree, discussing potential capstone project ideas with my teammates is crucial. However, we unfortunately didn't get the chance to share our ideas as a group. Despite this setback, I've had the opportunity to reflect on my capstone project while working on my Ethics Paper for CST300.

As I delved into the ethics of IoT and privacy, I began to envision a project called "Gateway Guardian." This innovative solution aims to serve as a proxy between your smart home devices and the internet, ensuring that the last refuge for privacy and security—your home—remains intact. The idea is rooted in the belief that data generated within personal spaces should not be mined or sent out without explicit consent.

In today's world, many smart devices, such as baby monitors, constantly send data to external servers, posing significant privacy risks. Often, these devices are purchased online from retailers like Amazon, manufactured in foreign countries, or by companies that might not have stringent privacy protocols. The Gateway Guardian would address this concern by acting as a command center for all smart home devices, providing users with granular control over when, how, and what data leaves their home.

Key Features and Implementation

The Gateway Guardian would offer several crucial features:

1. Controlled Data Transmission: Users could control when devices send data, such as enabling a baby monitor to transmit only when actively monitored through an app.
2. Encryption: All outgoing data would be encrypted to prevent interception by third parties, ensuring robust security.
3. User Interface: A modified Raspberry Pi could serve as the hardware, accompanied by a graphical user interface and a mobile application for seamless control and insight into smart devices.

The technical implementation would involve packet analysis and encryption, ensuring that all communications are secure and user-controlled.

Summary Week 6

This week has been both productive and fulfilling as I continue my journey in the Computer Science online program at CSUMB. One of the key achievements was the creation of my Portfolio Website, which I intend to continue developing to showcases my skills, projects, and academic accomplishments.

Additionally, I had the opportunity to preview the upcoming class, CST338 - Software Design with Java, Apparently, it's time to brush up on my Java skills. Another significant aspect of the week was the development of cover letters and resumes. Given that it had been quite some time since I last updated these documents, I was particularly pleased with the results. The refreshed cover letters and resumes turned out exceptionally well, accurately reflecting my skills and experiences – I would definitely hire myself!

This week marks the completion of my AWS Solutions Architect and Cloud Practitioner certifications. It has been a grueling 6 weeks to double up on coursework at CSUMB alongside completing these AWS certifications, and I am looking forward to the extra time this will afford me. With the final exams and projects now behind me, I have more time to focus on my remaining courses at CSUMB. Some of this extra time will be dedicated to CST363 - Introduction to Databases, allowing me to better meet the rigors of the course.

Overall, this week has been a blend of technical achievements, professional growth, strategic preparation for future coursework, and a lot of coffee.