By James R. McQuiggan, CISSP, SACP
It’s May 4th, 2025, so May the 4th Be With You! STAR WARS DAY!
A long time ago in, the Star Wars universe and today’s cybersecurity world share some fun striking parallels. I first saw Adam Shostack share some commonalities in a presentation over ten years ago, and I decided I would “steal with pride” the concept of comparing cybersecurity to Star Wars, so much so that it’s part of my lecture as a professor or when I present to college students. Now, Adam Shostack has gone on to write a book about Star Wars and threat modeling, but I’m quite content with my “Everything I learned about Information Security, I learned… “A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy, Far, Far, Away” In previous years, I’ve made two fun videos using Star Wars as the basis, one with Dad Jokes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RuO8iX-CHA) and one which is the basis of this article. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoIiJv_tLDM)
If you’ve ever watched Star Wars and thought, “Wow, the Empire really needed better security policies,” you’re not wrong. It resonates with cybersecurity professionals because it’s a galaxy filled with glaring operational failures. And it mirrors the real world more than we’d like to admit.
Data Access and the “Rebel Insider Threat”
In Rogue One, the Death Star plans are stolen and delivered to the Rebel Alliance’s hands. While we know it was easy to access at a terminal located on Scariff, this wasn’t brute-force hacking. It was lacking strong access controls. It was espionage, internal compromise, and a lack of data classification or segmentation. If you’re running a high-value target, like the Death Star, don’t let a rabble band of militia access your sensitive blueprints.
We’ve seen this play out in the real world. Look at Edward Snowden. Look at Chelsea Manning. Look at the NSA’s Equation Group tools that somehow ended up in the wild. The insider threat is real, and when data isn’t secured at the right level, it walks out the door—or, in this case, ends up in an R2 unit and eventually to the Rebel Alliance to find a weakness.
Weak Endpoint Controls: R2-D2 as a USB Stick
Speaking of R2, we will remember when R2-D2 plugs into the Death Star’s computer systems to take over doors, elevators, and networked infrastructure? That’s an endpoint running uncontrolled code on mission-critical systems: no segmentation, no authentication, no MFA, just plug-and-play access.
In today’s terms, that’s like walking into a data center and plugging in a Raspberry Pi or a rogue USB drive. Remember Stuxnet? It jumped air-gapped networks via infected USB drives. Same idea. The Empire didn’t need a lightsaber; it required a locked-down endpoint policy and some solid NAC (network access controls).
Lack of Basic Security Hygiene
Stormtroopers are everywhere, but they’re all terrible at their job. Why? Because they can’t hit their targets. Additionally, security awareness clearly wasn’t a budget priority for the Empire because there was no accountability, no training, and no follow-through. The human layer failed at every level.
It is the same reason phishing works. You can invest in firewalls and AI-based endpoint detection, but your controls are meaningless if no one knows how to spot a spoofed email. Security hygiene starts with people.
Real World Lessons
- Don’t underestimate insider threats. Build trust but verify access. Segment Everything.
- Treat all endpoints like they’re potential threat vectors. If someone plugs into your environment, you’d better know about it.
- Security culture matters. You can’t patch humans, but you can train them. Consistently. Continuously. Without treating them like idiots.
The Wisdom of Yoda: Final Thoughts
The Empire had the budget, the infrastructure, and total control of the galaxy. They still lost because they ignored the basics. In cybersecurity, the basics aren’t optional. They’re the difference between “happily ever after” and watching your company’s data get force-choked into a breach report.
Cybersecurity requires patience, vigilance, and continuous learning. We cannot eliminate all risks, but we can manage them effectively through awareness, preparation, and resilience.
Protecting your digital footprint begins with understanding the risks of oversharing personal information online. Cybercriminals exploit this information for identity theft, physical threats, and social engineering attacks.
Be mindful of your practices. You don’t need Jedi powers to secure your organization. You need process, discipline, and leadership that takes cybersecurity seriously. Think carefully before sharing information online. Update your systems regularly. Train your people effectively. Prepare for incidents before they occur.
Remember, in cybersecurity, as in Star Wars, the fate of your organization depends on the actions you take today. May the Force of security awareness be with you.
Resources:
Adam Shostack – Threats: What Every Engineer Should Learn From Star Wars 1st Edition- https://a.co/d/9pu1JO8
Dad Jokes – Star Wars Edition – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RuO8iX-CHA
InfoSec & Star Wars – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoIiJv_tLDM
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