On 24th April 2018, a new initiative from MSc Information Security lecturer Dr Jorge Blasco Alis and Dr Elizabeth Quaglia was launched. The initiative in question was 'InfoSec Cinema' which combines both a film screening and information security discussion. We spoke to Jorge to find out more about the event:
"Most of us know that Luke Skywalker, a couple of proton torpedoes and The Force were the key to the destruction of the first Death Star. However, what most people forget is that this was possible because of a huge data breach. With this in mind, we thought that looking at the security failures that lead to the destruction of the first Death Star would be a different and engaging way to learn more about information security. We designed a new activity, called InfoSec cinema, where students would be invited to watch a film screening and then participate on a discussion about the Information Security events and behaviours that they identified during the movie.
Image credit: Unsplash - @jontyson
Of course, for this occasion, we picked a Star Wars film. In particular, we decided to screen 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' as it depicts most of the failures that lead to the first Death Star Destruction. After the movie screening, we had fascinating discussions. We recognised the importance of insider risks. We realised how multiple information security failures could lead to chain-reactions with devastating effects (for the Empire). Our discussions reached a point where we even discussed possible designs for a system to allow ships, cargo and personnel to adequately authenticate when crossing a planet shield. We closed the night with pizza and drinks. After all, even the Information Security Jedis need some energy to save the Galaxy from cyber criminals that fall on the Dark Side!
May the Force (and Information Security) be with you!"
We wish to thank Jorge and Elizabeth, on behalf of everyone who attended, for organising a fantastic event and for facilitating the interesting discussions that ensued. To find out more about our MSc Information Security course, please visit our prospective students webpages.
