By Conor Deane-McKenna, Doctoral Researcher in Cyberwarfare
Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham
Star Wars presents its viewers with glimpses into a past where technology is years ahead of our own. Yet, policies put in place by the Empire, seemed to undermine many of the functions of this technology. From HoloNet restrictions to Astromech droid accessibility issues, the Empire struggled with cybersecurity on a daily basis and ultimately failed to overcome its challenges.
Akin to a limited Internet and television hybrid, the HoloNet enabled communication over vast regions of space within the Empire. Sharing important events and news from the centre of Imperial control on Coruscant was a critical component of the HoloNet. The widely watched, Imperial HoloNet News, was a propaganda tool for the Empire, which helped to ensure order and peace in the galaxy. HoloNet was heavily censored to remove critiques of the system of government and to quell potential areas for dissent amongst its many citizens. The weight of the imperial control did not deter illegal broadcasting on the network: a number of Rebel broadcasts took place from secret locations throughout the galaxy to spread information. Maintaining the HoloNet was a difficult task, though the finances are unclear, the dangers presented by potential hijacking of networks or the creation of secret networks posed significant challenges for the Empire.
HoloNet was unfortunately indicative of a wider problem within the galaxy. When we examine the rescue of Leia Organa from the Death Star, we see the importance of R2D2, an Astromech droid that plays a critical role in identifying the cellblock. One would imagine that prison records would be kept under tighter control, given the nature of the captive in particular. R2 appeared to encounter no firewalls, nor tedious requests for identifying markers or passwords, or indeed ‘I am not a robot’ captcha clickers. Perhaps more concerning was the ease at which R2 locates the power cell for the tractor beam. A critical piece of the imperial battle station was found without any major effort on the part of the heroes.
An issue of serious concern remains the lack of basic cybersecurity procedures in place on imperial installations. The ease at which Obi Wan Kenobi disabled the tractor beam’s power supply is astounding; though one should point out, it had to be manually disabled, affording it a degree of safety from the omnipotent R2 unit. The Rebel Alliance’s incursion on Skarif in search of the Death Star plans suffered no major setback as a result of a locked terminal in the Imperial building. The Empire appeared to rely on its infamously poor storm troopers to protect information and access to critical systems, rather than choosing to invest in the most up to date version of Windows.
There are a number of other examples of basic failings within the Empire’s cybersecurity policy. Some such as the HoloNet were less invasive than others. The power of a single droid to locate areas of concern on battle stations as well as the lack of any form of basic locking mechanisms on terminals led to a number of important victories for the Rebel Alliance and the ultimate demise of the Empire.
Star Wars shows us that we need to take care with our cybersecurity policy. Ease of access is critical in a world where everything is on-demand, but we take risks with our information and security on a daily basis. From the small business owner to Premier League football, so many parts of our personal and professional lives take place online, often with little thought about security. Elevate to the national level and we see states using cyber attacks to bring down power grids, websites, and steal information. The flaws of the Star Wars universe are its cybersecurity, which should teach us to be more vigilant in ours.