AN SBL PUBLICATION

Issue #6

Autumn 2014

Produced with the

kind support of

THE SCI-FI ISSUE

FEAT. CORY DOCTOROW // MURRAY LEINSTER // COLIN WILLIAMS // NOEL SHARKEY
AND MANY MORE...

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VMware 2014

Welcome

The Stuff of

Dreams

CyberTalk exists to allow new voices to be

heard saying new things about cyber. It is part of
a wider project to transform our understanding
of the cyber phenomenon. This phenomenon
is new in its apparent manifestation in the
actuality of our daily existence. However, it
formed decades ago in the minds of those who
imagined, designed and built the computers
upon which it exists. In these minds, it is the
very reason for which these computers were
GVIEXIHMRXLIVWXTPEGI

power of ideas to conjure forth the greatest evil, and the

greatest good. They had watched, from the eye of the storm,
as humanity had stood on the edge of catastrophe. They
imagined a better world. They gave us the means to realise
their vision; machines to make their imaginings real.
7S[L]WGMIRGIGXMSR#&IGEYWIMHIEWEVIXLIMRLEFMXERXW
of minds. Ideas are blissfully ignorant of their arbitrary,
LYQERGEXIKSVMWEXMSREWJEGXWSVGXMSRW8IGLRSPSK]MWXLI
application of science to the satisfaction of human need;
science expressed in forms and shapes moulded by human
hands and human imagination. Ideas are the language of the
imagination. Art is a vital source of the vocabulary of that
language where science provides its grammar.

Foremost amongst these minds were those of Alan Turing,

Norbert Wiener, Vannevar Bush, John von Neumann and J.
C. R. Licklider. Foremost within these minds were questions
about humans and their relationships to information and
to machines. Uniting these minds was a shared sense that
great improvements to the human faculty to store, process
and communicate information could, and would, be brought
about by new machines; universal, stored programme,
electronic computers. Uniting these minds was a shared
vision; the formation of a relationship between humans
and these new electronic machine brains; the creation of a
reciprocally transformative symbiosis; the opening of the next
chapter of human evolution; a vision realised in cyber.

CyberTalk is for those minds who sense the potential and

power of cyber and yet experience the daily frustrations
of the limits imposed by old and obsolete ideas about
how computer systems should be used. The dead hand of
redundant ideas has ceased simply to be raised to forbid
progress by those self-proclaiming expertise. It has stiffened
XSVMKSVQSVXMW8MQIXSTV]MXWRKIVWPSSWIJVSQXLIPIZIVW
of control and throw it off. Every step every human takes,
every breath every human draws, every hand ever clasped
in friendship brings risk. Life is risk. Constant evolution and
adaptation; our only means of survival. CyberTalk is for
those who seek to liberate the cyber domain; to enable it to
empower and enrich the human condition. It is for minds
that embrace and would harness the creativity of change.
Minds that see in the very interconnectedness of everything
the power to control fear and manage risk. It is for those
who see a human future in a cybernetic world.

These minds had all endured the stress and strain of the
years of total war required to defeat Fascism. They had all
worked at the heart of mission to harness science to the
technology of total war. They had all played a direct and
instrumental role in driving forward the frontiers of human
knowledge and understanding. They had all witnessed the
unveiling of the horrors of Auschwitz. They understood the

Colin Williams, Editor

CONTENTS
06

18

03

;IPGSQI

29  /RMKLXW3J8LI
Rainbow Table

'SPMR;MPPMEQW

05
06

FLASH FICTION
WINNER

Call For Articles

Technical Support

Cory Doctorow

36
38

*E]I;MPPMEQW

29

44

09



A Tale Of Two
'SQTYXIVW
;LIR3VEG
Met EDSAC

National Museum of Computing

11

Applying Metrics To
Cyber Behaviours
Dr. Char Sample &
(V%RHVI/EVEQERMER

12

Risk... From Near

And Far

59

16

The Minds in the

1EXXIV8LI*SVKSXXIR
Architects of the Cyber
Domain
'SPMR;MPPMEQW

EDITORS
4VSJ8MQ;EXWSR
'SPMR;MPPMEQW

ART DIRECTOR &

DIGITAL EDITOR
Andrew Cook

DEPUTY EDITORS
Natalie Murray
Tineke Simpson

SUB -EDITORS
1MGLEIPE+VE]

ADVERTISING
CO - ORDINATOR

Colleen Robertson

CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Ian Bryant

Andy Cole
Andrew Cook
Cory Doctorow
Prof. Daniel Dresner
Noel Hannon
Neira Jones
(V%RHVI%VE/EVEQERMER
Murray Leinster
Dr. Char Sample
(V/IMXL7GSXX
Prof. Noel Sharkey
4VSJ8MQ;EXWSR
'SPMR;MPPMEQW
*E]I;MPPMEQW

24

To Inanity And Beyond?

New Narratives, New
Maps, New Mindsets

/IMXL7GSXX

SPECIAL THANKS

The British Film Institute

The National Museum of Computing

DESIGN

Ellen Longhorn Design

www.ellenlonghorndesign.co.uk

CONTACT US
+IRIVEPIRUYMVMIW  
)HMXSVMEPIRUYMVMIW 
)QEMPG]FIVXEPO$WSJXFS\GSYO
;IF[[[WSJXFS\GSYOG]FIVXEPO
cybertalkmagazine

$']FIV8EPO9/

47

(IJ]MRK+SHW
And Demons
The Three Laws
Daniel Dresner & Neira Jones

Andy Cole

EVENTS

2SIP/,ERQER

50

Paradise Lost
And Found

18



42

Andrew Cook

8MQ;EXWSR
-ER&V]ERX

55



44

(3&97
8LI1SWX-QTSVXERX
Science Fiction
;SVOWWSJEV
Supporting Your
Transition To
+SZIVRQIRX7IGYVMX]
'PEWWMGEXMSRW
,]TIV+SPKSXLE

55



Our Friends Electric?

4EVXSJ7GM*M(E]W3J
*IEV%RH;SRHIV%X
The British Film
Institute
Prof. Noel Sharkey

59

Alamanac Of Events

CyberTalk is published three times a year by SBL (Software Box Ltd).

Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without
the written permission of the publisher. Articles in CyberTalk do
RSXRIGIWWEVMP]VIIGXXLISTMRMSRWSJ7&0SVMXWIQTPS]IIW;LMPWX
every effort has been made to ensure that the content of CyberTalk
magazine is accurate, no responsibility can be accepted by SBL for
errors, misrepresentation or any resulting effects.
Established in 1987 with a headquarters in York, SBL are a Value Added
IT Reseller widely recognised as the market leader in Information
Security. SBL offers a comprehensive portfolio of software, hardware,
services and training, with an in-house professional services team
enabling the delivery of a comprehensive and innovative range of IT
solutions.
CyberTalk is designed by Ellen Longhorn Design
ERHTVMRXIHF];]RHILEQ+VERKITPG

CyberTalk #7
The Editorial Board of CyberTalk magazine
are currently inviting the submission of
articles for Cybertalk #7.
Articles should be no longer than 2,000 words and
be related in some way to the topic of Agility and/or
Cyber Security. If you would like to contribute,
please email CyberTalk@softbox.co.uk with a
title and short article synopsis no later
than 19th December 2014.

Articles will be due for submission no later than 30th January

2015 for publication March 2015.
Find out more and read past issues online for free at:
www.softbox.co.uk/cybertalk

FLASH FICTION
WINNER

Technical Support
Faye
;MPPMEQW

In the morning, Em woke Nathan

at seven. She was his key worker an electronic box that contained a
continually adaptive brain built from
nothing more complex than silicon...

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8LI7LVSYHSJ8YVMRKF](ERMIP(VIWRIV
8LI-RGEVGIVEXI4VSNIGXF])'SEXIW
8IGLRMGEP7YTTSVXF]*E]I;MPPMEQW
8LIWIYW6IGPEMQIHF]1EVO&MWLST
9RXMXPIH F]2MEQL'EVI]*YVRIWW
4YWLXLI&YXXSRF]:MWLEP7LEVQE

CyberTalk magazine supports and promotes

the best cyber narrative writing from around
the world, including emerging writers and
exciting new voices. As part of this, over the
Summer we looked to seek out and celebrate
the most skilled and creative new writers with
SYVVWX*PEWL*MGXMSR'SQTIXMXMSR%YXLSVW
were asked to submit exceptional short
WXSVMIW[MXLEQE\MQYQSJ[SVHW
based on the theme of CYBER.

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in a white sheet.

The response was overwhelming and our

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HMJGYPXXEWOXSHIXIVQMRIXLI[MRRIVSJXLI
7EQWYRK,(8:TVM^I,S[IZIVJVSQE
shortlist of six, they were delighted to declare
XLI[MRRIVEW

Silence.

Technical Support F]*E]I;MPPMEQW

-LEHERSXLIVRMKLXQEVI

8LINYHKIW[IVITEVXMGYPEVP]MQTVIWWIHF]
the storys strong technological foundations
and its relation to humanity, and felt that
the story was a worthy victor in this, the
competitions inaugural year.

-ORS[-QWSVV]XSLIEVXLEX%VI]SYSOE]#

-ZIEP[E]W[VMXXIRGXMSRFYXMXWSRP]VIGIRXP]
that Ive started to let it see the light of day.
When I heard about the CyberTalk Flash Fiction
competition I knew it was something I wanted to
enter. It was my dream subject!
Ive played a fair amount of computer games
(ahem), and I know how absorbing they can be.
With the increasing amount of realistic violence
MRKEQIW-GER[IPPMQEKMRIXLEXTISTPI[MPPRH
it spilling over into real life in the future, especially
as hardware and visual effect becomes seamlessly
integrated into our physical environment.
The idea of electronic intelligence as benign
support is something Ive had rattling around in
my head for a long time.The relationship between
man and computer has often been portrayed as
sinister, but I wanted to explore a more positive,
almost affectionate connection.Who wouldnt love
WSQISRIIZIVEZEMPEFPIERHRSRNYHKIQIRXEPXS
talk to in the dark hours of the night? I hope you
IRNS]XLIWXSV]-EQXLVMPPIHXSLEZI[SR
*E]I;MPPMEQW

Nathan, its Em
Youre having
a flashback.

He looked across at the moulded shelf next to the bed, seeking the reassurance of a
small metal box no more than ten inches across. On the front panel a red LED was
unblinking. His nightmare ebbed away like backwash, revealing the stillness of the hours
before dawn.
He breathed in deeply and pulled the sheets away from his legs, shifting his weight from
one side to the other so he could drag out the creased and constricting cotton that
had wrapped itself around him. Free of the bedlinen, he sat up.

)Q#LIWEMH
The light on the box turned blue.
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7XST)Q-ORS[XLIJEGXW,IPEMHFEGOHS[RTYPPMRKXLIHMWGEVHIHWLIIXSZIVLMW
body.
After two minutes, the light on the box turned red again, so he closed his eyes and
waited for sleep.
In the morning, Em woke Nathan at seven. She was his key worker - an electronic
box that contained a continually adaptive brain built from nothing more complex than
silicon, but utilising an incredible patented learning and storage algorithm created by an
engineer called Ellen Marks.
8[IRX]]IEVWIEVPMIVNYWXEWXLIVWXGLEXFSXW[IVITEWWMRKXLIPSRKWXERHMRK8YVMRK
Test, reported on with lethargy by mainstream media, Ellen was working on a version
SJEVXMGMEPGSRWGMSYWRIWWYWMRKERIRXMVIP]HMJJIVIRXETTVSEGL-RWXIEHSJVIP]MRKSRE
pre-built natural language processing toolkit, Ellen used her background in embedded
TVSKVEQQMRKXSXEOIXLMRKWFEGOXSXLI[MVI9WMRK'ERHEWWIQFPIVWLIGVIEXIHE
PIEVRMRKJVEQI[SVOXLEXEHETXMZIP]PXIVIHMRJSVQEXMSRMRXSEHEXEFEWI8EOMRKLIV
ideas from how children learn about the world, she fed it terabytes of pre-prepared
conversational data. Over time, the computers responses became closer and closer to
a coherent representation of human thought. She called it Em, its name taken from her
initials.
Her prototype provoked the interest of a private medical company. Ten years after she
EKVIIHXS[SVO[MXLXLIQXLI]NSMRXP]VIPIEWIHXLI7]RXLIXMG7YTTSVX;SVOIV)Q
Z EWTEVXSJEXVMEPVILEFMPMXEXMSRTVSKVEQJSVHVYKYWIVW8LIRIEXPMXXPIFS\IWERH
accompanying monitoring wristbands, were given to curious and suspicious patients
across the county. The synthetic workers were designed to continue learning in the
IPHWSXLEXXLI]GSYPHEHETXXSXLITIVWSREPMX]SJXLITIVWSRXLI][SYPHVIWMHI[MXL
without losing the compassion and empathy that had been so carefully fostered in their
infancy.
3YXSJXLIVWXEHHMGXW[LS[IVIKMZIREFS\RSXSRIWPMTTIHSJJSJXLI
VILEFTVSKVEQMRXLIVWXX[IPZIQSRXLW*IIHFEGOJVSQXLITEVXMGMTERXW[EW
SZIV[LIPQMRKP]TSWMXMZIShe just makes me feel like Im not alone. Its so nice to have
someone to talk to in the middle of the night.When my cravings are really bad, she helps me
see its something I can control.

The natural pattern of linguistic response, and the gentle humour with
[LMGL)QHIEPX[MXLYRORS[RWYFNIGXW[SRSZIVIZIV]SRI[LSGEQI
into contact with her. Full scale production went ahead the following
year, and synthetic workers soon became a standard feature in mental
health care.

2EXLERMXW)Q=SYVILEZMRKEEWLFEGO

2EXLERWFS\[EWEFVERHRI[ZIVWMSRKMZIRXSLMQEJXIVLI[EW
treated at a psychiatric ward for a breakdown and subsequent severe
post-traumatic stress. Hed been a futures trader who sought to combat
stress and insomnia with computer games. Before long hed discovered
XLIPEXIWXMREWIVMIWSJGSRXVSZIVWMEPVIEPXMQIJERXEW]VWXTIVWSR
shooters, and purchased a Total Immersion() headset and gloves. He
stopped eating at regular times, played into the night and slept off the
exhaustion in the day. He missed days at work and tried to break the
habit, but ended up back in all-night sessions, desperate to complete the
LSYVKEQI,I[EWJSYRHHIL]HVEXIHERHMREWXEXISJHIPYWMSRF]
EGSRGIVRIHGS[SVOIV[LSGEQIXSLMWETEVXQIRXEJXIVLIQMWWIHZI
GSRWIGYXMZIHE]WEXXLISJGI[MXLSYXRSXMGEXMSR,I[EWSRISJER
increasing number of people who were being psychologically affected by
the extreme reality of, and prolonged exposure to the games they were
playing.

2EXLERGER]SYLIEVQI#2EXLER#

Now he was back at home, accompanied by Em. They had been together
for two months.

The volume of the music decreased.

Em monitored him via the wristband he wore at all times. She was
always aware of the level of his emotional arousal and recognised the
panic signature of his heartbeat.

He said nothing. Listening. Heart pounding. Fear overruled rational

thinking, all that was left was survival.
)QW[MXGLIHSRLIVMRXIVREPQYWMGTPE]IV)PZMWI\TPSWMZIP]PPIHIZIV]
GVIZMGISJIZIV]VSSQ[MXLXLINSPPMX]ERHHIVMWMSRSJ,SYRH(SK
Nathan was confused. The music bypassed his primal instincts and lit
YTLMWEYHMXSV]GSVXI\1IWWEKIWVIHSYXMREPPHMVIGXMSRW[EOMRKYT
GSQTPI\RIYVEPTEXL[E]WERHSZIVVMHMRKXLIKLXSVMKLXQIGLERMWQ
,IPSSOIHEVSYRHLMWFIHVSSQ(E]PMKLX;MRHS[STIR2SEPMIR
soldiers. Just him and Elvis, having a right old time.
)Q#LIEWOIHRIIHMRKXSLIEVXLIWSYRHSJLIVZSMGI

-QLIVI2EXLER=SYI\TIVMIRGIHEEWLFEGO)ZIV]XLMRKMWRI]SY
GERVIPE\RS[

'SJJII)Q#

That had been twenty-two days ago. Things had changed rapidly after
that last one. He started feeling less anxious. He had more inclination
XSKIXSYXSJFIHMRXLIQSVRMRK=IWXIVHE]LI[IRXJSVEVYRXLIVWX
exercise hed done in years. Em had helped him with all of it.

2SXLERO]SY2EXLER
Do you ever want to drink coffee? You know, wonder what it tastes
PMOI#

He was due back at the hospital for an evaluation in a few days.

You know that I do not have parts that would allow me to eat or
HVMROWLIWEMHQSHIWXP]
2SWLMX)Q-QIERHS]SY[ERXXS#(S]SYXLMRO]SYQMKLXPMOIMX#

He breathed in the steam from his coffee, letting the aroma ooze into
his body.

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=IW#

3OE]

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There was a brief pause, although she wasnt actually processing

anything. The boxes could out-think a human in less than a second. The
pause was part of her character - added to portray the thought process,
even though the calculations were already completed.

Standard procedure is for support workers to remain in situ until the

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=IW-XLMRO-[SYPHPMOIXSXV]MX

-JXLEXW[LEX]SY[ERX

Nathan smiled. Hed grown fond of Em. Probably too fond of her. Her
MHMSW]RGVEWMIW[IVITIGYPMEVXSEVXMGMEPGSRWGMSYWRIWWERHHMWTPE]IH
a vulnerability that provoked an oddly emotional response in him. As
YRLYQEREWWLI[EWLIIRNS]IHLIVGSQTER]7LI[EWEP[E]WXLIVIXS
talk, never too tired or too busy, and she gave considered answers to
everything he asked, from questions about his mental state to opinions
on what he should have for dinner. She was a true companion - real
enough to make him feel like he was in a proper relationship for the
VWXXMQIMRLMWPMJI

-XMWLIWEMH(SIWRXXLEXQEOI]SYJIIPPSZIH#

7S]SYPPFIWXMGOMRKEVSYRHXLIR#

,IIRNS]IHTVSHHMRKLIVJSVERIQSXMSREPVIEGXMSR)QTEYWIHJSVEJI[
seconds, ostensibly thinking about his question.
-XHSIW2EXLER-EQZIV]LETT]LIVI[MXL]SY
3L]SYPMXXPIMVXLIWEMH
,IXLSYKLXLIWE[LIVFPYIPMKLXMGOIVFYXWLIWEMHRSXLMRK

,IXLSYKLXFEGOXSXLIPEWXKEQMRKEWLFEGOLIHWYJJIVIH
It had been a warm afternoon. Hed opened his bedroom window and
caught the drifting sound of music from another apartment. The sinister,
EXXSRIW[IVIVIQMRMWGIRXSJXLIQYWMGWGSVIJVSQXLIKEQILIH
FIGSQIEHHMGXIHXS+SSWITMQTPIWVSWISRLMWEVQW8LIREQSZIQIRX
in his peripheral vision alerted him to their presence and immediately
XLIJIEVOMGOIHMR8LI][IVIEPMIRWSPHMIVWWEFVIXSSXLIHPM^EVHWOMRRIH
mercenaries. His thoughts closed in like a circular shutter, his breathing
WLYHHIVIHERHLMWFSH]TVITEVIHXSKLX,IRIIHIHE[IETSR,I
ducked down by the side of his bed and swished his hand underneath,
looking for something he could use to arm himself.

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*E]I;MPPMEQWMWERIQFIHHIHWSJX[EVIIRKMRIIVERHEWTMVMRKWXSV]XIPPIV
7LILEW[SVOIHSRTVSNIGXWEX7SR]<]VEXI\ERH6E]QEVMRI
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0MRY\*SVQEXERH36IMPP]KYIWXIHMXIHXLI':YNSYVREPSJ
XLI%''9ERHLEWFIIRTVSKVEQQMRKWMRGIXLIEVVMZEPSJ
LIVHEHW&&'1MGVSGSQTYXIVMR7LIMWEVYXLPIWW
minimalist who lives with her husband and two sons in
,EQTWLMVI8[MXXIV$*E]I;MPPMEQW

ADVERTORIAL

A TALE OF TWO
COMPUTERS:

WHEN ORAC MET EDSAC

WWGMIRGIGXMSRQIXW
WGMIRXMGGSQTYXMRKHYVMRKXLI
7YQQIV&]XIW*IWXMZEPEX8LI
2EXMSREP1YWIYQSJ'SQTYXMRKXLMW
WYQQIV
3VEGXLIWYTIVGSQTYXIVJVSQXLIWGMIRGIGXMSR
series Blakes 7, met the reconstruction of EDSAC,
XLIGSQTYXIVXLEXXVERWJSVQIHWGMIRXMGVIWIEVGLEX
'EQFVMHKIMRXLI]IEVWJSPPS[MRK;SVPH;EV--
;LIVIEW3VEG[EWHMWHEMRJYPSJLYQERFIMRKWERH
talked down to them, EDSAC was a servant of the
WGMIRXMGGSQQYRMX]SJ'EQFVMHKI9RMZIVWMX]MRXLI
WERHLIPTIHEGEHIQMGWEGLMIZI2SFIPTVM^IW
in Astronomy and Biochemistry.
Orac was damaged during the destruction of
underground facilities featured in the TV series,
partly repaired, but brought to TNMOC by TV
special effects maestro Mat Irvine to reawaken
memories at the Summer Bytes Festival.
EDSAC on the other hand is being
completely reconstructed by volunteers
at TNMOC and is expected to be fully
[SVOMRKEXXLIIRHSJ-X[EW
one of the most important early
British computers and was designed
F]7MV1EYVMGI;MPOIWMRXLI1EXLW
0EFSVEXSV]MR'EQFVMHKI9RMZIVWMX]
-XVERMXWVWXWYGGIWWJYPTVSKVEQ
]IEVWEKSERH[EWSTIVEXMSREP
for almost ten years, leading on
XS0)3XLI[SVPHVWXFYWMRIWW
computer.
EDSAC also holds the
distinction of featuring in Fred
,S]PIWWGMIRGIGXMSR
novel The Black Cloud.
The ongoing reconstruction
of EDSAC can be seen
MR8LI*MVWX+IRIVEXMSR
+EPPIV]EX8LI2EXMSREP
Museum of Computing
and its progress can be
followed through a set
of videos and reports
at www.edsac.org

See www.tnmoc.org
for further developments.
Also on Facebook,
+SSKPIERH8[MXXIV
The-National-Museum-of-Computing
$XRQSG
The National Museum of Computing

Presents

By Jules Verne

To celebrate the launch

of CyberTalk #6 - the
Sci-Fi Issue, we are
giving away an exclusive
eBook of Jules Verne's
From Earth to the Moon to
all CyberTalk subscribers,
absolutely free!
Simply sign up for your free
subscription using the link below,
making sure to enter a valid
email address. Your eBook will then
be sent to you within 24 hours.

Subscribe Today at:

www.softbox.co.uk/
cybertalk-subscribe

01347 812100
cybertalk@softbox.co.uk

(V'LEV7EQTPI')68ERH(V%RHVI/EVEQERMER'MWGS7]WXIQW

Applying Metrics to

Cyber Behaviours
Our earlier articles have discussed the role of culture in cyber
;LMPIRSXTIVJIGX,SJWXIHIW[SVOHSIWTVSZMHIEGVMXMGEPGSQTSRIRX
behaviors, and continuing with this topic, we will now discuss the
for cyber behavior metric development. The most appealing aspect
importance of metrics as they relate to culture and cyber behaviors.
of Hofstedes work to these researchers is the numeric value for the
Metrics provide the ability to track various components of the problem
ZEVMSYWGSYRXVMIWEPPS[WJSVVIWIEVGLXLEXUYERXMIWG]FIVFILEZMSV
space, and determine the effectiveness of the problem remediation.
through the use of statistical tools for analysis. The quantitative
1IXVMGWEPWSIREFPIYWXSTVSZMHII\XIRWMFPIWSPYXMSRWXLEXFIRIXE
approach provides a strict framework that determines the tools for
PERSONALITY
larger population.
measurement, metrics.
-2(-:-(9%0

However, when improperly applied they can mislead. In some cases,

inappropriately applied metrics result in mislabeling on a large scale.
;IWIIXLMWTLIRSQIRSRSJXLI%HZERGIH4IVWMWXIRX8LVIEX%48 
becoming synonymous with Chinese hackers, when in reality there are
other countries that are also capable of conducting APT campaigns.
Thus, prediction and forecasting, especially in cyber behavioral analysis
relies on the use of sound metrics.

To date, our research has relied on measures of central tendency and

GSVVIPEXMSREPEREP]WMW;LMPI[IVIGSKRM^IXLEXGSVVIPEXMSRHSIWRSX
equal causation, we are also aware the correlation does reveal patterns
ERHXVIRHW-RXIVQWSJG]FIVFILEZMSVWXLMWMWWMKRMGERXEWMXEPPS[W
for the measurement of cyber behaviors, and the ability to determine
the most likely actors. In cyber security, the ability to spot trends is
a considerably more proactive position than the ability to match a
pattern.

Historically, threat intelligence relied on case studies that detailed

WTIGMGEGXWEWETEVXSJEPEVKIVGEQTEMKRF]EXXEGOIVWSVEXXEGOIV
groups known as tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs). TTP
collection has resulted in pattern matching of attacks in order to
determine their origin. This is reminiscent of how signatures were used
to detect malware, and other attacking behaviors. Just as signatures
[IVIMRIJJIGXMZIEKEMRWXHE]EXXEGOWXLMWQSHIPSJ884QEXGLMRKMW
ineffective against new emerging threat actors.

;LIRGLSSWMRKSYVQIEWYVIQIRXXSSPW[ILEHX[SGLEPPIRKIWXLEX[I
RIIHIHXSEHHVIWWXLIHMWXVMFYXMSRSJXLIHEXEERHXLIMRXIVTVIXEXMSR
of human behavior. To the data distribution issue, we have not
found many cases of normally distributed data, in either the control
population or the behavior actor population. Thus, we have relied on
non-parametric statistical tools. Therefore, when we say correlation we
are referring to statistical correlations (characterized by r-values used
to explain the relationship between variables), not matching patterns
(characterized by descriptions of a match between a country and the
TTPs).

;ILEZIERSTTSVXYRMX]XSGLERKIXLIHMWGYWWMSRERHXEOIETVSEGXMZI
stand that will allow us to anticipate the next steps of existing threat
actors and the actions of emerging threat actors. In order to do this
WYGGIWWJYPP]VMKSVMWVIUYMVIH;LIRUYERXMXEXMZIEREP]WMWYWMRKXLI
proper metrics the required rigor is provided.

These building blocks of Hofstedes framework for numerically

identifying national cultural values, statistical tools, and data collection
provide the critical components needed for behavioral cyber metrics.
Proper application and correct interpretation of the results are also
required. This approach to cyber metrics introduces cyber security to
cross-discipline research.

;LMPIQIXVMGWTVSZMHIWXLIERW[IVKIXXMRKXSXLIERW[IVGERFIEFMX
challenging. Many of the measurement tools for human behavior are
WYFNIGXMZIXLMWQEOIWVITPMGEXMSRSJRHMRKWQSVIHMJGYPX%REKVIIH
upon scale that measures human behavior is an important part of the
RIGIWWEV]JSYRHEXMSR;LIRQIEWYVMRKREXMSREPKVSYTWSJTISTPI
+IIVX,SJWXIHIWGYPXYVEPHMQIRWMSRWTVSZMHIWXLIEKVIIHYTSRWGEPI
for measuring human behavior, by country.

6IEH4EVXERHSJXLMWWIVMIWSJEVXMGPIWSRPMRIRS[MR']FIV8EPO
-WWYIERH[[[WSJXFS\GSYOG]FIVXEPO

11

8MQ;EXWSR
9RMZIVWMX]SJ;EV[MGO
Ian Bryant,
9/8VYWX[SVXL]
Software Initiative
(TSI)

...at the very highest level of

abstraction, we can say that the
ultimate sources of risk must be
either terrestrial or extra-terrestrial



There is a natural tendency when considering Risk to

view it with a parochial lens, yet to truly understand
the spectrum of adversity, one needs to take a
YRMZIVWEPMWXZMI[MRGPYHMRKI\XVEXIVVIWXVMEPJEGXSVW
-RETVIZMSYWEVXMGPI;LS;ERXW7XSZITMTIW#JSVXLMWTYFPMGEXMSR']FIVXEPO
 SRISJXLIEYXLSVWRSXIHXLEXXLSWIIRKEKIHMRXLI-RJSVQEXMSR7IGYVMX]
stovepipe tend to consider their focus to solely be addressing Threat (dealing
with Threat Actors with Intent and Capability). This has the inherent effect
of typically ignoring Hazards (random mischance), yet such Hazards may have
security impacts. And that, on the other hand, the Safety stovepipe will tend
to consider their focus to solely be addressing Hazards, yet Threats may have
safety impacts.
-RSVHIVJSVER]IRXMX]XSTVSTIVP]QEREKIMXW6MWOWMIYWIETTVSTVMEXI
GSYRXIVQIEWYVIWXSVIHYGII\TSWYVIXSEREGGITXEFPI0IZIP[LEXMWEGXYEPP]
desirable is to understand all such sources of Risk, implying a need to address
the superset of Hazard and Threat, for which we use the term Adversity.
7SJSVXLI']FIVHSQEMRGSRWMWXMRKSJFSXL-8ERH38ERIQIVKIRX
XIVQWXERHMRKJSV3TIVEXMSREP8IGLRSPSK]MRGPYHMRKHSQEMRWWYGLEW-'7
-RHYWXVMEP'SRXVSP7]WXIQW XLIGLEPPIRKIMWLS[XSGETXYVIGSPPEXIERH
enumerate Adversity that can affect any part of the ecosystem associated with
HMKMXEPPSKMGGSRXVSPPIHXIGLRSPSKMIW[LMGLGSQTVSQMWIW7SJX[EVI0SKMG
FEWIHLEVH[EVIXLI)RZMVSRQIRXIWTIGMEPP]XLIIPIGXVSQEKRIXMG ;IX[EVI
LYQERW -RJSVQEXMSR(EXEERH2SRPSKMGFEWIHLEVH[EVI70);-2 
%GLEPPIRKISJXLMWLSPMWXMGETTVSEGLMWXLEXSJGSQTPI\MX]XLSWI[LSLEZI
carried out a conventional Security Risk (Threat) assessment will recognise that
XLIRYQFIVSJMRHMZMHYEPJEGXSVWMHIRXMIHGERFIPEVKI
This number is compounded if blended Threats are considered, with a
GSRWIUYIRXVMWOSJ[LEXQEXLIQEXMGMERWVIJIVXSEWGSQFMREXSVMEPI\TPSWMSRE
VETMHP]EGGIPIVEXMRKSJXIRI\TSRIRXMEPMRGVIEWIMRXLIXSXEPRYQFIVSJVMWOW
that need to be considered due to the number of different combinations of
individual factors that arise.
So when moving from Threat to Adversity assessment, not only is the number
of individual factors inherently going to increase, but also the potential for
GSQFMREXSVMEPI\TPSWMSR[MPPMRGVIEWITSXIRXMEPP]I\TSRIRXMEPP]
;LEXMWXLIVIJSVIRIIHIHMWEQSVIWGEPEFPIETTVSEGLXSEHHVIWWMRKXLIWI
factors that has the effect of simplifying, rather the confounding, the complexity
problem, but without losing essential detail in the process. The Replicable and
Scalable Adversity Enumeration (RASAE) process that is being developed by the
EYXLSVWEXXIQTXWXSTIVJSVQNYWXWYGLEWMQTPMGEXMSR
Fundamental to RASAE is the concept of an Adversity Class (AC), which
provides a way to group Adversities by their likely consequences, which
ultimately will reduce the problem space under consideration.
&YXMVSRMGEPP]FIJSVI[IGERYXMPMWIWYGLEWMQTPMGEXMSR[IQYWXVWXP]ERH
counter-intuitively expand our risk sources into the individual adversity factors
SVGSQFMREXMSRSJEHZIVWMX]JEGXSVWXLEXGERMQTMRKISRXLIVIPIZERX70);-2
characteristics of a Cyber system.
8SYRHIVWXERHXLI[E]MR[LMGL%'EVIYWIHPIXYWVWXGSRWMHIVEXEREFWXVEGX
level the sources of Threats and Hazards that could act on a notional Cyber
system. And at the very highest level of abstraction, we can say that the ultimate
sources of risk must be either terrestrial or extra-terrestrial (there is a SciFi
XLIQIXSXLMWMWWYISJ']FIV8EPOEJXIVEPP 

13

If we consider the extra-terrestrial sources of risk, these can logically

then be decomposed into Hazards (for which the term cosmological
would be more precise), and Threats, for which we recall needs Actors
with Intent and Capability. Such Threats would constitute the more
common use of the term Extra Terrestrial (ET), which we now have
capitalised to show the distinction. But of course, fortunately or
unfortunately (depending on your point of view) we have no WGMIRXMG
consensus as to the existence of ETs, which means that part of the
%HZIVWMX]EWWIWWQIRXGERRSXFIWIRWMFP]GSRWMHIVIHMXMW[LEXMW
VIJIVVIHXSEWER9RORS[EFPIYRORS[R

8LIWIX[SKVSYTIHGSRWIUYIRGII\EQTPIW/MRIXMGERH4VIWWYVI EVI

examples of the ACs introduced by RASAE, and Figure 1 is a partial
abstract from a fuller RASAE model which includes these two classes.
(See Figure 1 below).
8LMWMPPYWXVEXIWXLIYPXMQEXIWMQTPMGEXMSRXLEXEVMWIWJVSQXLIYRHIVP]MRK
JI[QER]JI[STIVEXMSRSJXLI6%7%)ETTVSEGL
)\EQMRMRKXLIIPIQIRXWSJXLIQSHIPJSV/MRIXMG%'JSVI\EQTPIXLIR
reveals a single point of analysis that also addresses terrestrial Hazards
WYGLEWFPS[RHIFVMWJVSQWXSVQWINIGXEJVSQZSPGERSIWERHEGGMHIRXW
such as vehicle impacts) and Threats (all forms of directed impact,
ranging from a sledgehammer to a missile to a deliberately crashed
aircraft).

8LMWPEXXIVXIVQGSQIWJVSQXLIGSRGITXSJ/Y9MRXVSHYGIHF]
E7GMIRXMG%QIVMGEREVXMGPIMR[LMGLGEXIKSVMWIHWSYVGIWSJ
YRGIVXEMRX]EWFIMRKIMXLIV/RS[RERETTVS\MQEXMSRXSFSXLJVIUYIRG]
ERHQEKRMXYHIGERFIQEHIEWETVSFEFMPMX]HMWXVMFYXMSR YRORS[R
IMXLIVJVIUYIRG]ERHQEKRMXYHIGERRSXFIWYJGMIRXP]GLEVEGXIVMWIHXS
QSHIPTVSFEFMPMX]HMWXVMFYXMSR SV9RORS[EFPIRIMXLIVJVIUYIRG]ERH
QEKRMXYHIGERFIWYJGMIRXP]GLEVEGXIVMWIH 

A fully formed RASAE model therefore serves to provide a list of

genericised AC as the basis for risk analysis, rather than having to
individually analyse individual factors.

So for now, although many may postulate on the existence of

0+10MXXPI+VIIR1IR [IRIIHXSGSRRISYVEREP]WMWXSXLI
cosmological, which still includes a variety of Hazards, including items
WYGLEW2IEV)EVXL3VFMX2)3 SFNIGXWWYGLEWEWXIVSMHWGSQIXW
ERHQIXISVWERHQSVII\SXMGTLIRSQIREWYGLEW+EQQE6E]&YVWXW
+6& ERH'SWQMG4LEWI'LERKI'4' 

The next focus of effort in extending the authors RASAE work

involves the Enumeration question, as most current risk assessment
ETTVSEGLIWIMXLIVVIP]MRKSRHIWGVMTXMZIETTVSEGLIW,MKL6MWO 
SV[LIVIUYERXMGEXMSRMWETTPMIHPEGOEQIERMRKJYP^IVSFEWI[LMGL
makes combinatorial activity challenging in the absence of any consensus
absolute scale.

-J[IGSRWMHIVNYWXXLI2)3SFNIGXWMVVIWTIGXMZISJXLIEHHMXMSREP
complexity of type (there are subtlies associated with whether they
are short-period or long-period), we can group them by potential
GSRWIUYIRGIWSRSYVRSXMSREP']FIVW]WXIQEWIMXLIVHMVIGX/MRIXMG
impact (from the meteoroid remainders of smaller NEOs) or blastpressure impact (larger NEOs tend to explode on entering the
EXQSWTLIVIEWIZMHIRGIHF]XLIQYPXMQIKEXSRFPEWXMR7MFIVMEMR
well before even the atomic, let alone thermonuclear, arms necessary
for man-made explosion of such a magnitude had been devised).

;IXLIVIJSVIFIPMIZI[LEXMWRIIHIHMWWSQIJSVQSJ^IVSFEWIH
(absolute) scale designed to support the meaningful combination of
probability distributions of differing natures (represented in the RASAE
QSHIPFIPS[MR*MKYVIEW#WYQ# [LMGLGEREPWSLERHPISVHIVSJ
magnitude challenges to allow extra-terrestrial (cosmological) factors
PMOI'4'[LMGL[SYPHMQTP]XLII\XMRGXMSRSJXLIORS[R9RMZIVWI XS
be addressed on a numerical scale that also has some meaning for lesser
VMWOWPMOIXLIWPIHKILEQQIVJEGXSV[MXLMRXLI/MRIXMG%'
Such as metric is currently being developed as part of the RASAE work,
referred to as Deleterious Result Scale (DRS), but we think that may be
EXVIEXFIWXVIWIVZIHJSVEJYXYVIIHMXMSRSJ']FIV8EPO

%HZIVWMX]7IX
#7YQ#

#7YQ#

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14

Figure 1

%XXEGOIV

Such Threats would constitute the

more common use of the term
Extra Terrestrial (ET), which we
now have capitalised to show the
distinction. But of course, fortunately
or unfortunately (depending on your
point of view) we have no scientific
consensus as to the existence of ETs...



Andy Cole
SBL

%WSJPEWX]IEV[ILYQERWLEZIFIIR
SYXRYQFIVIHF]QSFMPIHIZMGIWEPSRI
8LEXMWRXIZIRGSYRXMRKXLIPETXSTW
ERHHIWOXSTWXLEXLEZIEPVIEH]WIXYT
WLSTSRSYVHIWOWERHMRSYVHVE[IVW
ERHFEKW;LIRXLI7MRKYPEVMX]SGGYVW
ERHXLIQEGLMRIWEVMWISRIGERSRP]
[SRHIV[LEX[MPPLETTIREJXIV[I
EVIWYVTEWWIHF]EVXMGMEPQMRHW8LI
SHHWEVIWXEGOIHEKEMRWXYWWS[LIR
WSQISRIIZIRXYEPP]TVIWWIWXLIFMK
FPYIFYXXSRXLIVIHSRIMWJSVXLI
RYOIW XLIQEGLMRIWTVIWYQEFP]
[SRX[EWXIER]XMQIFIJSVIXYVRMRK
SRYWJSVJIEVSJFIMRKHIEGXMZEXIH
,S[IZIV-HSRXXLMRO[IRIIHXS
[SVV]XSSQYGL
'SRWMHIVMRKXLEXMX[SYPHFIFSXL[EWXIJYPERHMRIJGMIRXXSXV]XS
wipe us all out with bombs and bullets, la Terminator, perhaps a more
MRWMHMSYWETTVSEGL[MPPFIYWIH;L]RSXXEOIXLIPIWWSRWPIEVRIH
from. The Matrix ERHYXMPMWISYVIWL]FSHMIWEWWYWXIRERGIOIITMRKYW
docile with a steady drip-fed diet and a virtual world for our minds to
occupy. It would be presumptuous, if not downright rude of the Machine
Overlords to simply assume that we would be content to live such a
false existence while operating our giant hamster wheels. This certainly

doesnt sound like a palatable outcome for our species (we showed
so much promise in the beginning), but I believe that, not only is it not
a bad thing, it could be viewed as the inexorable next step for society.
Since my primitive mind of a Millennial is saturated with insipid visual
QIHMEPIXYWPSSOEXX[SI\EQTPIWSJLYQERWYFNYKEXMSRF]XLI%-JVSQ
XLIPQW;%00) and The Matrix, in which we are batteries in the latter
and fat pets in the former.
The whole point of technological advance was to improve our lives
by creating machines to shoulder the burden of industry and allow us
EPPXSPIMWYVIP]WTIRHSYVHE]WWMXXMRKMRIPHWERHHVMROMRKPIQSREHI
;LMPIQEGLMRIWLEZIZEWXP]MQTVSZIHMRHYWXVMEPSYXTYX[ILEZIRS
more free time now than the peasants of the so called Dark Ages. So,
to placate us and help forget how cheated we should all feel, we are
offered the chance to purchase items that will entertain us, make our
lives a bit easier and enable us to claw back more of our precious free
time. Online shopping, ready meals, automatic weapons, smartphones,
HVMZIXLVYXLI-RXIVRIXSJ8LMRKWXLIWIEVIEPPWYTTSWIHXSQEOISYV
lives less of an inconvenience. Even knowledge has become convenient
XSXLITSMRX[LIVI[IHSRXIZIRRIIHXSPIEVRXLMRKWER]QSVIEPPXLI
MRJSVQEXMSRMRXLI[SVPHMWSRP]IZIVE&EGO6YFE[E]+SSKPIMX 8LMWMW
what people want, is it not? My (smart) television tells me almost every
day that each new age group of children is more rotund and feckless
XLERXLIPEWXERHMXMWRXHMJGYPXXSWII[L]
In ;%00), a drained Earth has been abandoned by the human race,
[LMGLRS[PMZIWMRGSPSWWEPWIPJWYJGMIRXWTEGIGVEJX[ERHIVMRKXLI
galaxy in autopilot. Every human resides in a moving chair with a
touchscreen displaying mindless entertainment, and devours hamburgers
ERH^^]HVMROWTVIWWIHMRXSXLIMVTYHK]KVEWTMRKLERHWF]VSFSXW
controlled by an omnipotent A.I. These humans are utterly dependent, to

16

the point where their bones and muscles have deteriorated, rendering
them barely able to stand unaided, and are certainly unable (and
unwilling) to wrestle back control of their lives.

in virtual worlds, the opportunity to spend months or even years in

a universe of your choosing. It is an addicting prospect, at least in the
WLSVXXIVQERH]SYGERFIXXLEXWSQI[MPPPSWIXLIMVXEWXIJSVVIEPMX]
and embrace the virtual as its successor.

Looking at todays world, the McDonalds logo is more internationally

VIGSKRMWEFPIXLERXLI'LVMWXMER'VYGM\ERH'SGE'SPEMWGSRWYQIHEX
the rate of roughly 1.9 billion servings every day. The world is so hungry
for this, we wont even let wars stop us from obtaining it. Coca-Cola
+QF,MR2E^M+IVQER][EWYREFPIXSMQTSVXXLIMRXIKVEPW]VYTHYI
to trade embargo, so a replacement was created using cheap milk and
KVETIPIJXSZIVWXLEX+IVQER]LEHMRKSSHWYTTP]XLYW*ERXE[EWFSVR
The point is that we are clearly unperturbed about eating and drinking
things that are, at best, very bad for us, as long as they press the right
GLIQMGEPFYXXSRW;I[ERX[LEXMWGLIETXEWX]ERHVIEHMP]EZEMPEFPI;I
EPWS[ERX[LEXMWGSRZIRMIRXERHJEQMPMEV[LMGLMW[L];EPQEVXEPSRI
EGGSYRXWJSVEFSYXGIRXWSJIZIV]HSPPEVWTIRXMRXLI97%&IX[IIR
our growing hunger for convenience foods and sweet drinks, and the
widespread fascination of brainless celebrities and homogenous music,
we are not far from the ;%00)eventuality at all. Considering how
quickly we have arrived at this current state of society, we seem to be
merely waiting for the technology to mature. If you build it, they will
GSQIERHWMXHS[R

Nonetheless, to most people, living a purely virtual life probably doesnt

sound very appealing, and could feel like a loss of liberty and free will.
However, that is only when coupled with the knowledge that it isnt the
[SVPH]SY[IVIFSVRMRERHXLEXQEOIWMXETTIEVWTYVMSYWEXVWX7S
QYGLSJ[LEX[IXLMRO[IORS[MWETSGV]TLEPERHIEWMP]MRYIRGIH
even down to the things we see, hear, taste, smell and think. Added to
that, when you consider how tenuous your perception of reality is,
you might come to the conclusion that your reality is precisely what
]SYQEOISJMXRSXLMRKQSVIERHRSXLMRKPIWW-QE]FIJVIIF]XLI
standards of The MatrixPQWFYX-GERX]ZIV][IPPFVIEOJEWXGIVIEPW
are boring and I keep banging my knee on my desk. Some peoples
JVIIHSQMWIZIR[SVWIXLERQMRI%RSVTLERMRXLIXLMVH[SVPH
destined for a pitiful existence of misery and hunger, could he or she not
FIRIXJVSQERI[ZMVXYEPPMJI[MXLEJEQMP]XLEXLEWRXHMIHSJHMWIEWI
and malnutrition?
Humour me for a moment, and imagine that you are walking along a
TEXLQEHISJE[PIWWTSPMWLIHKVERMXIFVMGOW3R]SYVVMKLXEVEHMERX
sun is beaming down upon a pristine beach of hot white sand and an
opalescent turquoise sea, casting glittering beads that skitter towards
the shore to a soundtrack of undulating waves. Friends, both new and
old, are already there, waiting for you on brightly coloured towels,
PEYKLMRKERHTPE]MRKKEQIW3R]SYVPIJXEXVERUYMPIPHSJKSPHIRGSVR
stalks, swaying to the sounds of birds chirping in a cool evening breeze.
The sun is retreating behind an antique wooden farmhouse, teasing
light in warm streaks across a narrow stream that runs alongside like a
glistening silver ribbon. All of your family, even those who were once lost
to you, are lounging nearby on a grassy verge, with cool drinks poured
ERH[MGOIVFEWOIXWJYPPSJJSSHVIEH]XSFIIRNS]IH3JGSYVWIXLMWMWRX
real, but what about if I could, right now, make you forget your current
VIEPMX]ERH[EOIYTMRERI[YRMZIVWI[LIVIIZIV]XLMRKERHIZIV]SRI
MWNYWXEW]SY[SYPH[ERXXLIQXSFI#

The Matrix, as Im sure you know, takes place in a world where machines
have taken over as the dominant force on the planet. Most of the
LYQERVEGIMWMQTVMWSRIHMRIRHPIWWIPHWSJIRHPIWWXS[IVWPMRIH
[MXLYMHPPIHGETWYPIWMR[LMGLIEGLLYQERWFSH]LIEXMWYWIHXS
fuel the machines in the absence of solar energy. These humans are
placed in a collective dream world, called the Matrix, which mimics
their society of old, and most of them will never even suspect that their
world is anything other than real. Those who do are sometimes found
F]VIWMWXERGIKLXIVW[LSJVIIXLIQXSPMZIMRE[SVPHSJVIPIRXPIWW
pursuit by robotic sentinels, living in cold, crude hovercrafts, and bowls
of snot for breakfast.
+SMRKFEGOXSSYV[SVPHQIHMEMWIZIVQSVITVIZEPIRXERHXIGLRSPSK]
is giving us more and more immersion in that media. Film began as
FPEGOERH[LMXIXLIRGSPSYVXLIR,(XLIR(ERHRS[/[LMGL
is approaching the maximum resolution that our eyes can perceive,
depending on distance. In search of even greater immersion, we are
RS[XYVRMRKSYVEXXIRXMSRXS:6ERH%+%YKQIRXIH6IEPMX] [LMGL
GSYPH[IPPFIXLIQSWXI\GMXMRKSJXLIQEPP+SSKPIVIGIRXP]PEYRGLIH
+SSKPI+PEWW%+KPEWWIW[LMGLHMWTPE]ZEVMSYWTMIGIWSJMRJSVQEXMSR
in the corner of your vision, such as reminders or directions. They will
IZIRXEOITMGXYVIWMJ]SYXIPPXLIQXS6IKEVHPIWWSJ[LIXLIV+PEWW
takes off, the potential in this technology is astounding. Not too long
JVSQRS[]SY[MPPFIEFPIXS[EPOEVSYRH[MXLE,IEHW9T(MWTPE]
,9( HMWTPE]MRKEPPSJ]SYVZMXEPMRJSVQEXMSREW[IPPEWEPMXXPIFEVXS
indicate how full your bladder is. A somewhat less exciting version of
XLMWMWEPVIEH]FIMRKHIZIPSTIHF]+SSKPIERH2SZEVXMWMRXLIJSVQSJ
a contact lens for diabetes sufferers, which monitors glucose levels and
XVERWQMXWVIEHMRKWXSEWQEVXTLSRISVGSQTYXIV&EGOXSXLI,9(
when you drive somewhere (assuming you actually do the driving, we
are trying to automate that bit as well), you are guided by arrows in
your vision. If you visit a racetrack, you can compete against the ghostly
image of a friends car that follows the same path and speed as they
SRGIHMH=SYGSYPHRHSYXLS[]SYWXEGOYTEKEMRWXER]FSH][LSLEW
HVMZIRXLEXXVEGOFIJSVITIVLETWIZIRXLI7XMK

8STEVETLVEWI2ISJVSQXLIEJSVIQIRXMSRIHZMWYEPQIHME-ORS[]SYVI
out there, I can feel you. I can feel that youre afraid, afraid of change. I
didnt come here to tell you how the world is going to end, rather to
WLS[]SYLS[MXWKSMRKXSFIKMR-QKSMRKXSRMWLXLMWTEVEKVETLERH
then Im going to show you a world without me. A world without rules
and controls, without borders or boundaries, a world where anything is
TSWWMFPI;LIVI]SYKSJVSQXLIVIMWEGLSMGI-PIEZIXS]SY

I know youre out

there, I can feel you.
I can feel that youre
afraid, afraid of
change.

3JGSYVWIXLIWII\EQTPIWYWI%+EWETIVMTLIVEPXSIZIV]HE]PMJI
and with this arm of progress will come the other,Virtual Reality. The
videogame industry has looked into this before, particularly Nintendo
[MXLXLIMV:MVXYEP&S]MRFYXRS[XLEXXLIXIGLRSPSK]LEWGEYKLX
up, it is being revisited with substantially more impressive results. A
famous example of this is the Oculus Rift VR headset, which potentially
allows you to become completely immersed in whatever world your
virtual avatar occupies, moving its viewpoint as you move your head.
From there, it is a short step to imagine places where people go to
IRNS]PS[GSWXZMVXYEPLSPMHE]WWYGLEW[LEX]SYQE]LEZIWIIRMRTotal
Recall or Inception, albeit the latter is literally a dream rather than a
virtual world. From holidays will come the possibility of extended stays

17

Colin
Williams
SBL

8,)1-2(7-28,)1%88)6
The Forgotten Architects of the Cyber Domain

18

Very great and pertinent advances

doubtless can be made during the
remainder of this century, both in
information technology and in the
[E]WQERYWIWMX;LIXLIVZIV]
great and pertinent advances will
be made, however, depends strongly
on how societies and nations set
XLIMVKSEPW
0MFVEVMIWSJXLI*YXYVI.'60MGOPMHIV

.YP]8LI7IGSRH;SVPH;EVMWHVE[MRKXSMXWREPGPSWI
%PXLSYKLXLI97%[MPPGSRXMRYIXSGSRHYGXSTIVEXMSRWMRXLI
4EGMGXLIEXVIYRXMPEVEHMSFVSEHGEWXF])QTIVSV,MVSLMXSSR
7ITXIQFIVXLERRSYRGIW.ETERWWYVVIRHIVXLISYXGSQI
is assured. Victory in Europe had already been achieved.
+IVQER]LEHWYVVIRHIVIHYRGSRHMXMSREPP]XSXLI%PPMIWEX
SR1E]XL&].YP]XSXEP%PPMIHZMGXSV][EWEREFWSPYXI
inevitability. Peace loomed.
8LIWIIHWSJXLI'SPH;EVLEHEPVIEH]FIIRTPERXIHTIVLETW
as early as the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1939.
'IVXEMRP]F]XLIJVERXMGVEGIXS&IVPMRFIX[IIRXLI9776JVSQ
XLI)EWXERHXLI9/ERHXLI97%JVSQXLI;IWXJSPPS[MRK
the Normandy landings and the Allied invasion of Europe.
From these seeds, the roots of the continuing, global, and
I\MWXIRXMEPWXVYKKPIXLEX[EWXSHIRIERHWLETIXLILYQER
story for what remained of the twentieth century were
EPVIEH]KVS[MRKERHEXEVIQEVOEFPIVEXI,S[IZIVMX[SYPH
RSXFIYRXMP1EVGLXLXLEX'LYVGLMPP[SYPHHIGPEVI
from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain
has descended across the Continent.
-R.YP]XLIHIITXIVVSVWSJXLI'SPH;EV[IVIJSVQSWX
SJLYQERMX]YRJSVIWIIRERHYRMQEKMRIH-R.YP]QER]
SJLYQERMXMIWRIWXQMRHW[IVIGSQTIPPIHXSGSRXIQTPEXI
on the ruins of the world and, more importantly, on the
new world that they would make to replace and improve
that which had been destroyed. Fascism had been defeated.
Democracy had prevailed. A high price had been paid by
victor and vanquished alike. Cities, nations and empires lay in
the ruins of victory as well as of defeat. Amongst the victors,
IPEXMSR[EWXIQTIVIH[MXLI\LEYWXMSR8LI9/IGSRSQ]MR
particular having been dealt a beating from which it would
never recover.
The world had witnessed the capacity of human science
and technology to mechanise and industrialise wholesale
WPEYKLXIVSJWSPHMIVWERHGMZMPMERWEPMOILEH[EXGLIHXLI
QEWWTVSHYGXMSRSJHIEXLTPE]IHSYXSREKPSFEPWXEKI;EV
ERHKIRSGMHILEHFIIRVIRIHF][IWXIVRGMZMPMWEXMSRXS
a grotesquely clinical exercise in accountancy and modern
QEREKIQIRX8LIPIKMXMQEG]SJXLI)YVSTIERMQTIVMEPTVSNIGX
perished in the barbarity and horror of Auschwitz and
Stalingrad.
In order to secure this victory, the entirety of the will, energy
and treasure of the greatest nations on Earth had been
HIZSXIHXSSRIWMRKPIEMQZMGXSV]8LMWLEHFIIREXSXEP[EV
in every sense of the word. Now that the victory had been
EXXEMRIH[LEXRI\X#;LEX[EWXLIRI[[SVPHXSFIVIQEHI
from the ruins of the old to look like?

19

-RXLI7YQQIVSJXLIVI[EWEWIRWIXLEXKVIEXXLMRKW
must now be done in order to ensure that the new world
[SYPHFISRI[SVXL]SJXLIWEGVMGIWXLEXLEHFIIRQEHI
a peace worth the price. All of this had to have been for
something. Amongst the great minds of humanity a sense
had grown of the power of human agency and spirit to create
great effect. These were the minds that had harnessed the
power of the atom, through technology, to the human will.
These were the minds that had created machines of vast
power and sophistication to make and break the deepest of
secrets. These were the minds that sensed the expectations
of history upon them. It was their responsibility, individually
ERHGSPPIGXMZIP]XSWIGYVIXLITIEGINYWXEWMXLEHFIIRXS[MR
the war. It was their duty to enhance and improve the human
condition. And, they knew it.
-RXLI.YP]MWWYISJXLIAtlantic Monthly, the man who
LEHWTIRXLMW[EVHMVIGXMRKERHGLERRIPPMRKXLIWGMIRXMG
research required to secure victory in arms, responded to
the imperatives of the peace, and the call of history, with the
TYFPMGEXMSRSJXLIWIQMREPTETIV%W;I1E]8LMRO%WVWX
the chairman of the National Defense Research Committee,
ERHXLIRXLIHMVIGXSVSJXLI3JGISJ7GMIRXMG6IWIEVGLERH
Development,Vannevar Bush was responsible for directing and
co-ordinating the prodigious and ground breaking research
required to enable the prosecution of total war on an
industrial scale.
In his paper, Bush openly acknowledges that, for scientists,
MXLEWFIIRI\LMPEVEXMRKXS[SVOMRIJJIGXMZITEVXRIVWLMTMR
SVHIVXSEXXEMREGSQQSRGEYWI,ITSWIWXLIUYIWXMSR
[LEXEVIXLIWGMIRXMWXWXSHSRI\XRS[XLEXXLII\LMPEVEXMSR
of the war has ebbed away? His answer is that the scientists
of the peace must turn their attentions to making real the
radical transformation in the relationships between humanity
and information promised by the technology developed at
such pace and cost during the war. For Bush this is about
far more than computers as great calculators for scientists;
a much larger matter than merely the extraction of data for the
TYVTSWIWSJWGMIRXMGVIWIEVGLMXMRZSPZIWXLIIRXMVITVSGIWWF]
[LMGLQERTVSXWF]LMWMRLIVMXERGISJEGUYMVIHORS[PIHKI
Bush proposed the creation of a device to extend and
IRLERGIXLILYQERQIQSV]EQEGLMRIXSEMHERHEYKQIRX
XLILYQERTS[IVWSJGSKRMXMSRMQEKMREXMSRERHGVIEXMSR
a computer to work in symbiosis with the human. He
proposed a device that would operate as human thought
does, by association. For Bush, the human mind can, with
one item in its grasp, link instantly to the next that is suggested
by the association of thoughts, in accordance with some intricate
web of trails carried by the cells of the brain. He describes a
future device for individual use, which is a sort of mechanized
TVMZEXIPIERHPMFVEV],IKMZIWMXEREQIXLIQIQI\
8LIQIQI\I\XIRHWXLILYQERQIQSV]ERHXLIQMRHit
is a device in which an individual stores all his books, records,
and communications, and which is mechanised so that it may be
GSRWYPXIH[MXLI\GIIHMRKWTIIHERHI\MFMPMX]
,IKMZIWXLIRI[XLMRKEJSVQMXMW a desk. For the human,
it is a piece of furniture at which he works, rather than a
Q]WXIVMSYWMREGGIWWMFPIKEVKERXYERQSRWXIVQEGLMRIPPMRK
ERIRXMVIVSSQ-XMWQSYPHIHEVSYRHLYQERMRXIVEGXMSR
it has slanting translucent screens on which material can be
projected for convenient reading. For data entry and control
there is both a keyboard, and provision for direct entry via
a transparent platen upon which can be placed longhand
notes, photographs, memoranda. These originals can then
be photographed onto the next blank space in a section of the
QIQI\PQ If at any time the user losses the thread of their
interaction with the memex, a special button transfers him
MQQIHMEXIP]XSXLIVWXTEKISJXLIMRHI\

through XMQIWLEVMRKGSQTYXIVW]WXIQW[MXLVIQSXIYWIVXIVQMREPW6.

Bushs paper lays out the essence of the core thinking upon which the
;SVPH;MHI;IF[EWXSFIGSRWXVYGXIH&YWLTVSZIHMRGSVVIGXMRLMW
preference for analogue over digital computers. However, his vision,
of the human interactions with information augmented by symbiotic
machines integrated by design in to the associative workings of human
GSKRMXMSRLEWFIIRQEHIVIEP;IWIIXLMWMRXLIEPKSVMXLQWHVMZMRK
XSHE]WWIEVGLIRKMRIWMRXLIGSRGITXWERHXIGLRSPSK]SJL]TIVPMROMRK
XLEXTVSZMHIWXLIXLVIEHWSJXLI;IFFYMPXYTSRXLIHIGEHIWSJ
EWWSGMEXMZIERHGYQYPEXMZIXLSYKLXLIMRMXMEXIHERHMRXLITVMRGMTEPW
informing the graphical user interface model of mediating human
communications with our machine counterparts.

-RXLIVWXIQEMP[EWWIRXEGVSWW%64%2)8%W]WXIQSJ
networked computers created in 1963 as a direct realisation of J. C. R.
Lickliders vision. A system conceived and moulded by human thought
ERH[MPPXLIW]WXIQXLEXWXERHWEWXLITSMRXSJKIRIWMWSJXLI-RXIVRIX%
net that provided the fabric from which Bushs web could, and would, be
woven. The foundations of a cybernetic system in which Bushs memex
morphs in to the universal machine of Turing and von Neumann.
-R[LMPWXEX%64%0MGOPMHIVIWXEFPMWLIHERETTPMIHVIWIEVGL
programme that laid the foundations for generations of research and
development, and postgraduate teaching, in computers and computing.
The programme took years if not decades to bear fruit. Directly and
indirectly, it produced some of the keystone elements of modern
computing. It continues to do so to this day.

Bushs paper entered an intellectual context already populated with

minds turned in the direction of computers and computing. In particular,
the minds of A. M. Turing and John von Neumann. Turings 1936 paper
3R'SQTYXEFPI2YQFIVW;MXLER%TTPMGEXMSRXSXLI)RXWGLIMHYRKWTVSFPIQ
offers clear evidence of the direction of his pre-war thinking towards
XLITSWWMFMPMX]SJEYRMZIVWEPGSQTYXMRKQEGLMRI;LMPWXEXXIRHMRK
Princeton from 1937 to 1938, Turing encountered von Neumann for a
WIGSRHXMQIXLIX[SLEZMRKQIXVWX[LIRZSR2IYQERR[EWEZMWMXMRK
TVSJIWWSVEX'EQFVMHKIHYVMRKXLIXLMVHXIVQSJ-R.SLR
+/IQIR]LEHXLITVMZMPIKISJPMWXIRMRKXSEPIGXYVIEX0SW%PEQSWF]
.SLRZSR2IYQERRMR[LMGLZSR2IYQERRPEMHSYXZITVMRGMTEPW
JSVXLIHIWMKRSJEGSQTYXMRKQEGLMRISJXLIJYXYVI/IQIR]WQIQSV]
LEWZSR2IYQERRWTVSTSWEPWEW*YPP])PIGXVSRMG'SQTYXIVW&MREV]
Number System, 3, Internal Memory, 4, Stored Program and, 5, Universal
Computer 1. Turings direction of mind towards the question of machine
intelligence is signposted in his lecture to the London Mathematical
7SGMIX]SRXL*IFVYEV]8LI[SVPH[EWRSXXSORS[SJ
Colossus for decades to come.

The names of the institutions funded by this programme still reads like
a whos who of the great and the good in the realms of the teaching and
VIWIEVGLSJGSQTYXMRK&IGEYWISJ0MGOPMHIV9RMZIVWMX]SJ'EPMJSVRME
&IVOPI][EWKVERXIHJYRHWXSHIZIPSTXMQIWLEVMRKXLVSYKL4VSNIGX
+IRMI0MOI[MWIXLI1EWWEGLYWIXXW-RWXMXYXISJ8IGLRSPSK][EWIREFPIH
to research Machine Aided Cognition, or Mathematics and Computation,
or Multiple Access Computer, or Machine Aided Cognitions, or Man
ERH'SQTYXIVXLVSYKL4VSNIGX1%'7;LEX[EWXSFIGSQI'EVRIKMI
1IPPSR9RMZIVWMX]XSSOVIGIMTXSJWM\LYRHVIHQMPPMSRHSPPEVWMRSVHIVXS
GSRHYGXVIWIEVGLMRXSXLIXLISV]SJGSQTYXIVTVSKVEQQMRKEVXMGMEP
intelligence, the interactions between computers and natural languages,
the interactions between humans and computers, and, the design of
computing machinery. The Augmentation Research Center within the
Stanford Research Institute was tasked with developing technologies to
enable components of computers and elements of computer systems to
interact.

-R2SVFIVX;MIRIVTYFPMWLIWXLIVWXSJEWIVMIWSJXLVIIFSSOW
MR[LMGLLIERRSYRGIHXLIGVIEXMSRSJERI[WGMIRGICybernetics:
or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. The
foundation text was followed by The Human Use of Human Beings
MRERHXLIXVMPSK][EWGSQTPIXIHMR[MXLGod and Golem,
Inc.;MIRIVWQMWWMSRMR[EWXSTVSZMHIEfresh and independent
TSMRXSJGSQQIRGIQIRXJSVXLIWXYH]SJRSRPMRIEVWXVYGXYVIWERHW]WXIQW
[LIXLIVIPIGXVMGSVQIGLERMGEP[LIXLIVREXYVEPSVEVXMGMEP. By 1964 he
[EWVIIGXMRKSRthree points in cybernetics. Firstly, machines which
learn. Secondly, machines able to make other machines in their own
image. Thirdly, the relations of the machine to the living being 3. Across
XLIWTERSJXLIWIXI\XW;MIRIVHIZIPSTWXLIGSRGITXYEPTLMPSWSTLMGEP
ERHQEXLIQEXMGEPJVEQI[SVOXLEXYRMIWERHXVERWJSVQWLYQERERH
machine in the cyber domain of today.

8LIFMVXLSJ3TIR7SYVGIMRXLIWERHXLIHIZIPSTQIRXSJXLI
6-7'EVGLMXIGXYVIMRXLIWEX9RMZIVWMX]SJ'EPMJSVRME&IVOPI]
stem from the seeds planted by Licklider. As does the genesis of social
RIX[SVOMRKQERMJIWXMRXLI'SQQYRMX]1IQSV]4VSNIGXXIVQMREP
found in Leopolds Records in Berkley in 1973. The use, in 1984, of
robots designed by Carnegie Mellon academics in the clean up of the
wreckage and debris from the partial nuclear meltdown at Three Mile
Island has the same lineage. Likewise, the continuing and growing world
PIEHMRKTSWMXMSRMRXLIEVIEWSJEVXMGMEPMRXIPPMKIRGIERHXLIXLISVMIW
SJGSQTYXEXMSRIRNS]IHF]XLI1EWWEGLYWIXXW-RWXMXYXISJ8IGLRSPSK]
Similarly, the emergence of the mouse, hyperlinks and the graphical user
interface from Stanford shares this common origin. All of this sits in
a direct causational relationship to Lickliders endeavours. All of this,
impressive though it is, leaves out the impact of the graduates from
these institutions and the creation around them of a culture and an
environment within which great things are done. Stanford nestles in
the heart of Silicon Valley and counts Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Vinton
Cerf amongst its alumni.

8[S]IEVWFIJSVILINSMRIHXLIRI[P]GVIEXIH%HZERGIH6IWIEVGL
4VSNIGXW%KIRG]MR.'60MGOPMHIVLEHEPVIEH]FIKYRXSHMVIGX
his thoughts towards the expected development in cooperative interaction
between man and electronic computers that will lead to a QERGSQTYXIV
symbiosis in which a very close coupling between the human and the
electronic members of the partnership will let computers facilitate
formative thinking and enable men and computers to cooperate in making
decisions and controlling complex situations 4. By 1968, Licklider predicted
[MXLEWWYVIHGSRHIRGIXLEXHIWTMXIMXFIMRKa rather startling thing to
say, nonetheless, in a few years, men will be able to communicate more
effectively through a machine than face to face. 5
8LVII]IEVWSRJVSQLMWETTSMRXQIRXXSXLIRI[EKIRG]MR
Licklider was commissioned with the production of a report in to the
Libraries of the Future. His task, not to examine new ways to store
ERHVIXVMIZIFSSOWFYXMRWXIEHXSGSRWMHIVXLIconcepts and problems
of mans interaction with the body of recorded knowledge and to explore
the use of computers in information storage, organisation, and retrieval. His
prediction was that what he called a procognitive system would evolve
based on digital computers. Outlandish though it might seem to the
VIEHIVWSJXLIVITSVXMRXLIWIGSQTYXIVW[SYPHLEZIVERHSQ
EGGIWWQIQSV]GSRXIRXEHHVIWWEFPIQIQSV]TEVEPPIPTVSGIWWMRK
GEXLSHIVE]SWGMPPSWGSTIHMWTPE]WERHPMKLXTIRWLMIVEVGLMGEPERHVIGYVWMZI
TVSKVEQWXVYGXYVIWTVSGIHYVISVMIRXEXIHERHTVSFPIQSVMIRXEXIHPERKYEKIW
and xerographic output units. 8LI][SYPHFIIRQIWLIHMRXIVGSRRIGXIH



The testaments to the enduring legacy of Lickliders vision are as clear

EWXLIQSWXMQTSVXERXPIWWSRXLI]SJJIVREQIP]XLEXXLIWYGGIWWSJXLI
LYQERWIRWIQEOMRKTVSNIGXMRXLIEVIESJG]FIVGERSRP]FIMQEKMRIH
through a long range lens. Success in this endeavour quite possibly
being our only hope of surviving, let alone harnessing, the inexorable
dependence humanity now has on cyber. A dependence foretold by
WGMIRGIGXMSR
In his 1946 story A Logic Named JoeEQIVV]XEPISJXLI-RXIVRIX
(the tanks), PCs (logics), and the near collapse of society because of
them. Murray Leinster has the tank maintenance engineer reply to the
suggestion that the network of logics and tanks might be shut down
in order to save humanity from the eponymous Joe, a logic that has
somehow attained a form of sentience, with the chillingly prescient
VMTSWXIShut down the tank? he says mirthless. Does it occur to you,
JIPPEXLEXXLIXEROLEWFIIRHSMREPPXLIGSQTYXMRJSVIZIV]FYWMRIWWSJGIJSV
]IEVW#-XWFIIRLERHPMRXLIHMWXVMFYXMSRSJRMRIX]JSYVTIVGIRXSJEPPXIPIGEWX
programs, has given out all information on weather, plane schedules, special

8LI97%LEHJEPPIRFILMRH7SZMIXXIGLRSPSK][MXLSYXIZIRORS[MRKMX
;SVWIXLI97PEGOIHXLIGETEGMX]XSGSRHYGXXLIVIWIEVGLVIUYMVIHXS
GEXGLYT-R*IFVYEV]MRXLIQMHWXSJLMWTVIWMHIRG])MWIRLS[IV
GVIEXIHXLI%HZERGIH6IWIEVGL4VSNIGXW%KIRG]%64% -R
Licklider was plucked by ARPA from his professorship in psychology at
MIT, and placed in charge of the newly created Information Processing
8IGLRMUYIW3JGIEX%64%,MWQMWWMSR[EWXSPIEHXLIHIZIPSTQIRXSJ
research and the creation of technologies to enable the military use of
GSQTYXIVWERHMRJSVQEXMSRTVSGIWWMRK-RLMWS[R[SVHWLMWNSF[EWXS
bring in to being the technology that the military needs 9.

WEPIWIQTPS]QIRXSTTSVXYRMXMIWERHRI[WLEWLERHPIHEPPTIVWSRXSTIVWSR
contacts over wires and recorded every business conversation and agreement
PMWXIRJIPPE0SKMGWGLERKIHGMZMPM^EXMSR0SKMGWEVIGMZMPM^EXMSR-J[IWLYXSJJ
logics, we go back to a kind, of civilization we have forgotten how to run!
Before the risky and radical funding and research construct Licklider
created came into being, not a single Ph.D. in computing had been
GSRJIVVIHER][LIVIMRXLI97%XLIVWXFIMRKE[EVHIHMR
Licklider operated with courage, foresight and vision. Humanity, and the
97IGSRSQ]EVIXLIVMGLIVFIGEYWILIHMH,IIWXEFPMWLIHEREGEHIQMG
GSRXI\XXLEX[SYPHFIMQTSWWMFPIXSEXXEMRMRXLI9/XSHE][MXLMR
XLIGSRRIWWIXF]XLIGYVVIRXJYRHMRKVIKMQIERHI\IQTPMIHMRXLI
Research Excellence Framework.
Our academic institutions are locked in to a funding structure that
actively militates against radical and disruptive thought. Intellectual
creativity and cross-disciplinary work are driven out by a system that
rewards conservatism, conformity and compliance, with research funding
and professional advancement. This same culture fosters a headlong
retreat in to ever narrower slivers of specialisation. The only sense in
[LMGLQEXXIVWHMJJIVJVSQ&YWLWSFWIVZEXMSRMRXLEXthere
is increasing evidence that we are being bogged down as specialization
extends 8 is that we are now worse off than they were three quarters
of a century ago.
Just as we have retreated in to the cold comfort of conformity in
WXIVMPIVIWIEVGLWS[ILEZIEPPS[IHXVEMRMRKXSYWYVTIHYGEXMSR;I
are producing generation after generation of graduates, more or less
skilled in the rote application of knowledge and processes, which are
themselves more or less relevant to the world as it is. These graduates
have no sense of the interactions between the technology of computing
ERHLYQERMX]RSWIRWISJXLISVMKMRWERHREXYVIIZIRSJXLIXIGLRSPSK]
8LI]EVIXVEMRIH8LI]EVIXIGLRMGMERWLMKLP]WOMPPIHXIGLRMGMERW[MXL
EHIQSRWXVEFPIEFMPMX]XSQEWXIVZIV]GSQTPMGEXIHTVSGIWWIWFYX
technicians nonetheless. They are, by design, bereft of the capacity for
critical or creative thought. They can exercise formal logic in response
to established patterns. They can accomplish complicated and familiar
tasks with great faculty. Yet, by virtue of the training itself, they are
incapable of adapting to change. They are closed systems, devoid of the
EFMPMX]XSEGXSRJIIHFEGO9REFPIXSGLERKIXLIMVWXEXIERHYREFPIXS
IZSPZI9RPMOIXLIG]FIVW]WXIQXLI]MRLEFMX

It is reasonable to assume that by the time of his recruitment by

ARPA, Licklider had heard, if not read, the farewell address of the 34th
4VIWMHIRXSJXLI97%([MKLX()MWIRLS[IVKMZIRSRXLIXL.ERYEV]
MR[LMGLLIEWWIVXIHXLEXJSVXLI97%a vital element in keeping
XLITIEGIMWSYVQMPMXEV]IWXEFPMWLQIRX7YVZMZEPVIUYMVIHXLEXSYVEVQW
must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may
be tempted to risk his own destruction. Eisenhower also recognised that
this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms
industry is new in the American experience. He understood that the total
MRYIRGIIGSRSQMGTSPMXMGEPIZIRWTMVMXYEPMWJIPXMRIZIV]GMX]IZIV]
WXEXILSYWIIZIV]SJGISJXLIJIHIVEPKSZIVRQIRX Likewise, he was clear
XLEXXLMW[EWETVIGSRHMXMSRJSVWYVZMZEPwe recognize the imperative
need for this development. However, Eisenhower was not simply
HIWGVMFMRKSVNYWXMJ]MRKXLII\MWXIRGISJXLIQMPMXEV]MRHYWXVMEPGSQTPI\
He was warning of its potential dangers. Existential imperative though
MX[EWRSRIXLIPIWWwe must not fail to comprehend its grave implications.
Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of
our society. )MWIRLS[IVW[EVRMRKXSLMWXSV][EWGPIEVERHHMVIGXThe
potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this [military and industrial] combination
endanger our liberties or democratic processes.
As Turing and von Neumann gave material, technological, form to the
QEXLIQEXMGWSJYRMZIVWEPWXSVIHTVSKVEQQIHMKMXEPGSQTYXEXMSRERH
EW:ERRIZEV&YWLPEMHXLIJSYRHEXMSRWSJXLI;SVPH;MHI;IFERHEW
;MIRIVIUYMTTIHLYQERMX][MXLXLIRI[WGMIRGIVIUYMVIHXSIREFPISYV
GSQTVILIRWMSRSJXLIRI[[SVPHXLIWIQMRHWLEHGVIEXIHWS0MGOPMHIV
created the conditions and the context within which the Internet was
born.
More than this, he created the structures within which computers
and computing were developed. Licklider was the architect of the
assimilation of the Internet, computers and computing in to the service
SJXLIWIGSRHKVIEXI\MWXIRXMEPGSRMGXSJXLIX[IRXMIXLGIRXYV]XLI
HIRMRKGSRXI\XSJXLI'SPH;EV8LIZEWXERHXVERWJSVQEXMZIGSRWXVYGX
we call cyber was imagined as a consequence of the devastation
[VSYKLXF]SRIKVIEX[EVERHJSVQIHMRXSVIEPMX]EWEQIERWSJ
avoiding the extinction level consequences of another. However, both
Bush and Licklider imagined their work as a means by which humanity
[SYPHIZSPZIERHMQTVSZIERHSYVMWL2SXQIVIP]EWEQIERWF]
which it would avert extinction. Not merely as a weapon of war.

Across the community of those interested in cyber and cyber security,

there are numerous voices calling, correctly, for a science of cyber.
However, there is manifest confusion about what such a call amounts
to. The goal of science is not the acquisition of empirical data per se.
Neither is the creation of a science the elevation of assertions to fact
simply because of their utterance from the mouth of a scientist. Science
is about a rigorous and methodological approach to the formulation,
testing, destruction and re-making of hypotheses in order to push back
the frontiers of human knowledge and understanding. Science requires
insight, vision, creativity, courage and risk taking in the formulation of
these hypotheses as much as it requires discipline, rigour and method
in their testing. Those who make the call for a science of cyber should
VWXVIEH;MIRIV
J. C. R. Licklider was a principal and formative actor at the heart of the
military-industrial complex called forth by the existential imperatives
SJXLI'SPH;EV%RHLIORI[MX3RXLIXL3GXSFIVELMKLP]
polished metal sphere less than a meter in diameter was launched in
XSERIPPMTXMGEPPS[IEVXLSVFMXF]XLI9776)PIQIRXEV]7EXIPPMXI
7TYXRMOFIGEQIXLIVWXEVXMGMEPIEVXLWEXIPPMXIERHERETTEVIRX
W]QFSPSJ7SZMIXWGMIRXMGTS[IV8LII]IWSJXLI[SVPHGSYPHWIIMX
The radio receivers of the world could hear it. The propaganda victory
KPIERIHF]XLI9776[EWFEHIRSYKL&YX[SVWIJSVXLIGSRXVSPPMRK
QMRHWSJXLI97KSZIVRQIRXERHQMPMXEV]XLIRMKLXQEVISJWTEGIFSVRI
weapons platforms became instantly real. The divide between science
GXMSRERHWGMIRGIJEGXZERMWLIHSZIVRMKLX;MXLRIMXLIV[EVRMRKRSV
XMQIXSWLIPXIVEXSQMGHIWXVYGXMSRGSYPHRS[HIWGIRHHMVIGXP]JVSQXLI
darkness of space.



Just as we have retreated into the

cold comfort of conformity in sterile
research, so we have allowed training
to usurp education.

Research funding should enable, even reward, intellectual courage

and risk taking. Researchers should be allowed to fail. Creative and
productive failures should be celebrated and learnt from. Those
allocating research funding should take risks, and be praised and
VI[EVHIHJSVHSMRKWS;MXLSYXXLIGSYVEKIERHVMWOXEOMRKSJ0MGOPMHIV
&YWL8YVMRK;MIRIVERHZSR2IYQERRERHXLSWI[LSWYTTSVXIHERH
paid for them, where would we be now?

The forgotten architects of the cyber domain, Bush and Licklider,

imagined a world transformed. They understood the centrality of
XLILYQERVIPEXMSRWLMT[MXLMRJSVQEXMSRERHXLI]YRHIVWXSSHXLEX
the potential to re-shape this relationship was also the potential to
re-form and re-make the essence of our humanity, for the better. They
understood that their vision of the transformation to the relationship
between humanity and information, which they also gave us the ability to
make real, represented our best, our only, hope of survival.

;IEVIFIKMRRMRKXSKVSTIXS[EVHWXLIVWXKPMQQIVMRKWSJ
comprehension of the enormity, and scale, and velocity of the
transformation to the human story that is cyber. Once more, it is
required of us to think and act with courage, foresight and vision. It
falls to us to reform and reshape both the what and the how of our
thoughts and our deeds. It is time to prove ourselves worthy of the
trust placed in us by the architects of the cyber domain.

%WLIGSRGPYHIWLMWVIIGXMSRWSRAs We May Think, Bush observes

XLEXMRLYQERMX]LEWEPVIEH]built a civilization so complex that he
needs to mechanise his record more fully if he is push his experiment to its
logical conclusion. ,IMWGPIEVXLEXWGMIRGILEWKVERXIHYW[SRHIVWXLEX
it has FYMPXYW?XLIA[IPPWYTTPMIHLSYWI of civilisation within which we
are learning and progressing. He is also equally clear that science has
given us the terrible power to throw masses of people against another
with cruel weapons. His hope is that science will permit humanity
truly to encompass the great record and to grow in the wisdom of the race
experience. ,MWJIEVXLEXLYQERMX]QE]]IXTIVMWLMRGSRMGXFIJSVI?MXA
learns to wield that record for his true good. ,MWNYHKIQIRXXLEXEPVIEH]
having endured so much, and having already accomplished so much in
the application of science to the needs and desires of man, it would seem to
be a singularly unfortunate stage at which to terminate the process, or to lose
hope as to the outcome. 8LMWVIQEMRWEWXVYIMREWMX[EWMR

;ISJGSYVWILEZIWSQIXLMRKEZEMPEFPIXSYWXLEXXLIEVGLMXIGXWSJXLI
HSQEMRHMHRSXXLII\MWXIRGISJXLIHSQEMRMXWIPJ%RMQQIEWYVEFP]
powerful construct conceived, designed and engineered by its makers
precisely in order to liberate human intelligence and creativity. Time to
WLIHXLIWLEGOPIWSJXLI'SPH;EVERHWIXMXJVII
-TVSTSWIXLIGVIEXMSRSJERI[MRWXMXYXI8LI4VSQIXLIYW-RWXMXYXI
for Cyber Studies. So named as a conscious invocation of all of the
GEHIRGIWEQFMKYMXMIWERHHMJGYPXMIWSJXLIWXSVMIWSJ4VSQIXLIYWERH
LMWXLIJXSJVIJVSQXLIKSHWSJ3P]QTYWLMWKMJXSJXLMWWXSPIRERH
most sacred of their possessions to humanity. The Prometheus Institute
should be based at, but operate independently from, an established
academic institution. It should be formed along the lines of the learned
and scholarly societies of the Enlightenment. It should embrace and
develop a truly trans-disciplinary approach to improving the human
understanding and experience of the cyber phenomenon through
scholarship, research and teaching. In his creation of the new science of
G]FIVRIXMGW;MIRIVPMXEXSVGLSYVXMQIXSGEVV]MXJSV[EVH

The human use of computers and computing as a means to survive

ERHTVIZEMPMRXLI'SPH;EV[EWFSXLMRIZMXEFPIERHHIWMVEFPI-XTYX
these machines at the service of powerful imperatives and commanded
the release of the vast troves of treasure, time and intellectual power
required to bring these complex and complicated creatures in to
existence. It gave us an initial set of market, management and security
mechanisms through which we could bring the newborn creature to an
MRMXMEPWXEXISJIEVP]QEXYVMX]2S[XLI'SPH;EVMWSZIV8MQIXSXLMRO
again. Time to bring computers and computing back in to the service
of augmenting and improving the human condition. Humanity depends
YTSRXLIIZSPYXMSRSJG]FIVJSVMXWS[RIZSPYXMSRERHJSVMXWZIV]
existence.
It falls to us to use the new domain in accordance with the spirit of
the intent of its architects. It falls to us to exercise our agency as
instrumental elements of the cybernetic system of which we are an
MRXIKVEPTEVX8SHSXLMW[IQYWXVWXPIEVRSJXLISVMKMRWSJXLMWRI[
domain and re-discover the minds of its makers. Therefore, we must
SYVWIPZIWVIEHERHWXYH]XLI[SVOERH[VMXMRKWSJ2SVFIVX;MIRIV
Vannevar Bush, J. C. R. Licklider, Alan Turing and John von Neumann.

I propose the creation of a new

institute; The Prometheus Institute
for Cyber Studies

Then, we must re-design our university teaching programmes. Firstly,

by building these works in as core undergraduate texts. Secondly, by
using these texts as the foundation of a common body of knowledge
ERHPIEVRMRKEGVSWWEPPSJXLIIPHWEWWSGMEXIH[MXLG]FIVMRGPYHMRK
GSQTYXMRKVSFSXMGWEVXMGMEPMRXIPPMKIRGIERHWIGYVMX]8LMVHP]F]
encompassing within the common body of knowledge and learning
disciplines hitherto alien to the academic study of computing. Cyber is
about philosophy as much as it is about mathematics.

References
1
1ERERHXLI'SQTYXIV.SLR+/IQIR]/IQIR][EWXLITVIWMHIRXSJ

 (EVXQSYXL'SPPIKIJVSQXS8SKIXLIV[MXL8LSQEW)/YVX^LIHIZIPSTIH
BASIC and one of the earliest systems for time-sharing networked computers. As a
graduate student he was Albert Einsteins mathematical assistant.

']FIVRIXMGWSV'SRXVSPERH'SQQYRMGEXMSRMRXLI%RMQEPERHXLI1EGLMRI2SVFIVX
 ;MIRIV
The choice is (probably) yours.
3
+SHERH+SPIQ-RG2SVFIVX;IMRIV
4
1ER'SQTYXIV7]QFMSWMW.'60MGOPMHIVTYFPMWLIHMR-6)8VERWEGXMSRWSR,YQER
 *EGXSVWMR)PIGXVSRMGW:SPYQI,*)1EVGL

8LI'SQTYXIVEWE'SQQYRMGEXMSRW(IZMGI.'60MGOPMHIVERH6SFIVX;8E]PSV 
 TYFPMWLIHMR7GMIRGIERH8IGLRSPSK]%TVMP
6
0MFVEVMIWSJXLI*YXYVI.'60MGOPMHIV
7
The acronym MAC was originally formed of Mathematics and Computation but was
 VIGSQTSWIHQYPXMTPIXMQIWEWXLITVSNIGXMXWIPJEHETXIHERHIZSPZIH
8
%W;I1E]8LMRO:ERRIZEV&YWL%XPERXMG1SRXLP].YP]
9
1IQSVERHYQSJVH%TVMPJVSQ.'60MGOPMHIVMR;EWLMRKXSR('XS1IQFIVW
 ERH%JPMEXIWSJXLI-RXIVKEPEGXMG'SQTYXIV2IX[SVOVIKEVHMRK8STMGWJSV(MWGYWWMSREX
 XLI*SVXLGSQMRK1IIXMRK

The funding and direction of our research practice should be similarly

reformed. Just as ARPA directed broad areas of research targeted
at complimentary areas of inquiry, so our funding should be similarly
HMVIGXIH;IWLSYPHFIXEVKIXMRKVIWIEVGLEXTVIGMWIP]XLSWIEVIEW
where cyber can enable and empower humanity. At enabling, extending
and enhancing democracy for instance. Research funding should not be
allocated according to the ability of the recipient to demonstrate formal
GSQTPMERGI[MXLEQIGLERMWXMGUYEPMX]GSRXVSPVIKMQIEWMRIJJIGXE
reward for the ability to game the system. Rather, it should be awarded
SRXLIFEWMWSJERMRJSVQIHNYHKIQIRXF]LYQERWEFSYXXLIGETEGMX]
of the recipient to deliver radical, creative, innovative and disruptive
thought. One way to do this would be to emulate the practice of public
GSQTIXMXMSRWJSVXLIWIPIGXMSRSJEVGLMXIGXWJSVFYMPHMRKWSJWMKRMGERGI
6IWIEVGLWLSYPHGEPPJSVXLERW[IVWRSXQIVIP]IPIKERXEVXMGYPEXMSRWSJ
the problem.



TO INANITY
AND BEYOND?

NEW NARRATIVES, NEW MAPS, NEW MINDSETS

4VIHMGXMSRMWZIV]HMJGYPXIWTIGMEPP]EFSYXXLIJYXYVI
- Niels Bohr (attr.)
Nobody knows anything.
;MPPMEQ+SPHQERAdventures In The Screen Trade



Keith Scott
De Montfort
University

Imagine you are standing at the head

of a queue of people. Just behind you
is your father or mother, aged as they
were when you were born. Next to
LMQLIVMWSRISJXLIMVTEVIRXWEXXLI
age when your parent of choice was
FSVRRI\XXSXLIQSRISJLMWLIV
TEVIRXWEKIH]SYKIXXLIMHIE,S[
far down the line would you have to
go before your everyday existence
[SYPHFIRSXNYWXMRGSRGIMZEFPIFYX
inexplicable to the other person?
;IPMZIMRE[SVPHXLEX[SYPHLEZI
been utterly alien to even four or
ZIKIRIVEXMSRWFEGOHS[RXLI
PMRIMRXLI;IWXIVR[SVPHEXPIEWX
(and the rest of the globe is catching
up), hitherto unknown longevity and
literacy, amazingly low levels of child
mortality, and a variety of goods
available at ludicrously low cost in
XLIWLSTW;IPMZIMRE[SVPH[LMGL
WEXMWIWXLIHIRMXMSRSJTIVJIGXMSR
given by Terry Pratchetts Cohen the
&EVFEVMER

Every generation is in turn overtaken

by the next, as new technological
developments mark our time to stall
on the information highway.

;LEXMWMXXLEXEQERQE]GEPPXLIKVIEXIWXXLMRKWMR
PMJI#
,SX[EXIVKSSHHIRXMWLXV]ERHWLSJXPEZEXSV]TETIV1
More than this, think of how our everyday existence relies on a level of omnipresent, pervasive technology that
RSTVIZMSYWIVEIZIVMQEKMRIHEW;EVVIR)PPMWTYXWMX
-J-[IVIWMXXMRKRI\XXS]SYX[IRX]ZI]IEVWEKSERH
you heard a phone ring, and I took out a bar of glass and
WEMHWSVV]Q]TLSRINYWXXSPHQIMXWKSXRI[ZMHISSJ
EWSPEVEVI]SYHLEZIQIWIGXMSRIHMREEWL9WIXLI
VIEVZMI[QMVVSVXSMQEKMRIXIPPMRKWSQISRINYWXX[IRX]
ZI]IEVWEKSEFSYX+478LMWMWXLIPEWXKIRIVEXMSRMR
XLI;IWXIVR[SVPHXLEX[MPPIZIVFIPSWX0MJI7XVE[W7]R
XLIXMGFMSPSK]+IRIXMGWIUYIRGMRK7%67[EWKIRIXMGEPP]
WIUYIRGIH[MXLMRLSYVWSJMXWMHIRXMGEXMSR-QRSX
IZIRXSYGLMRKXLI[IF[MQSFMPIFVSEHFERHGPSYH
GSQTYXMRKIPIGXVSRMGGMKEVIXXIW2
How much of what Ellis talks about could you describe
to your ancestors? How much could you explain?
Before descending into a Panglossian declaration that
[IPMZIMRXLIFIWXSJEPPTSWWMFPI[SVPHWVIQIQFIVXLMW
every generation regards the one preceding it as out of
touch and less techno-savvy than their own, and sees
themselves as the acme of humanity. Every generation
is in turn overtaken by the next, as new technological
developments mark our time to stall on the information
highway. Return to the image of your family line, and picture yourself in the middle of the queue, rather than at its
LIEHLS[JEV[MPP]SYLEZIXSKSFIJSVI]SYRH]SYVWIPJ
gaping in blank incomprehension at the everyday lives of
your descendants? Ten generations? Five? Two? The past
QE]FIEW04,EVXPI]TYXMXEJSVIMKRGSYRXV]XLIJYXYVI
is terra ignota, and its closer than we think - or like.



As a species, we have any number of nifty design features - binocular

vision, opposable thumbs, a large brain...- but perhaps our greatest
EWWIXWEVIXLEX[IQEOIXLMRKWERHGERI\XIVREPMWISYVORS[PIHKI;I
QEOIXSSPWERHIZIV]XSSPMWFSXLERSFNIGXMRMXWIPJERHEQIERWSJ
HIXIVQMRMRKLS[XLEXXSSPMWQEHIEPPS[MRKVITPMGEXMSRERHVIRIQIRX 
and we tell stories, the storage medium for information and the vehicle
for its transmission. Religion, politics, philosophy, economics... These
EVIEPPG]FIVREVVEXMZIWMRXLIXVYIWXWIRWISJXLI[SVHJSVXLI]EVI
all concerned with the attempt to explain and order the universe, to
tell the story of why the world is the way it is, or how it should be. TS
)PMSXHIWGVMFIH9P]WWIWEWE[E]SJGSRXVSPPMRKSJSVHIVMRKSJKMZMRKE
WLETIERHEWMKRMGERGIXSXLIMQQIRWITERSVEQESJJYXMPMX]ERHEREVGL]
[LMGLMWGSRXIQTSVEV]LMWXSV]32SVFIVX;MIRIVHIRIHG]FIVRIXMGW
EWXLIWGMIRXMGWXYH]SJGSRXVSPERHGSQQYRMGEXMSRMRXLIERMQEPERH
XLIQEGLMRI4 In a world which is ever more run on the basis of hugely
complex interlinked mechanical, digital and human systems, operating
in ways which no single user can hope to understand, we need to ask
[LIXLIVSYVGSRXVSPPMRKREVVEXMZIWEVIYTXSXLINSF4VSHYGXWSJLMKLP]
WTIGMGEKIWGYPXYVIWERHITMWXIQSPSKMIWWTVMRKMRKJVSQTEVXMGYPEV
societies and regions, can they hope to prepare humanity for life in
[LEX;MPPMEQ+MFWSRXIVQWXLEXTSWXKISKVETLMGEPQIXEGSYRXV][I
MRGVIEWMRKP]GEPPLSQI5#;LIVIMRWLSVXEVIXLIG]FIVREVVEXMZIWJSVXLI
Age of Cyber?
8LISFZMSYWVWXTPEGIXSPSSOJSVVSEHQETWJSVXLIJYXYVIMWSJGSYVWI
WGMIRGIGXMSR,S[IZIVEWXLILMWXSV]SJ7*WLS[WXLIQSQIRXW[LIR
writers correctly predict the future are far outweighed by the occasions
[LIRXLI]KIXMX[VSRK'SRWMHIV;MPPMEQ+MFWSRW2IYVSQERGIVXLI
FSSO[LMGLKEZIYWG]FIVWTEGI+MFWSRWGSRWSPINSGOI]WNEGOMRXSXLI
Matrix with consummate ease, escaping from the prison of meatspace in
a cyberspatial carnival, but they still all use pay phones, because he failed
to foresee the mobile phone. Time and again, we see the predictions of
7*JEMPMRKXSXVYP]LMXXLIREMPSRXLILIEH-R,+;IPPWTSWMXIHXLI
GVIEXMSRSJE4IVQERIRX;SVPH)RG]GPSTEIHME

8LIJYXYVIMWEPVIEH]LIVI[IEVIFYMPHMRKMXERHMJ7*LEWER]ZEPYI
(which I believe it does) it lies in its ability to sketch out possible ways in
[LMGLXLITVIWIRXQE]HIZIPST-RLMWEHHVIWWXS+VIWLEQ'SPPIKI2IEP
7XITLIRWSRKMZIW[LEX-JIIPMWXLIWMRKPIFIWXHIRMXMSRSJXLIJSVQ
7*XLVMZIWFIGEYWIMXMWMHIETSVR8MXGSYTPIWXSKIXLIVE[MHIVERKISJ
concepts in new and often shocking ways, and lets its readers experience the vicarious thrill of seeing what emerges from the process. It
offers us the opportunity to gaze toward the stars, or to stare into the
EF]WW.SWLYE)PPMWTIVJIGXP]WYQWYTXLIGSRMGXMRKZMWMSRWSJXLIJYXYVI
7*TVIWIRXW
the Future gets divided; the cute, insulated future that Joi Ito and Cory
Doctorow and you and I inhabit, and the grim meathook future that most
SJXLI[SVPHMWJEGMRKMR[LMGLXLI][EXGLXLIMVWUYEXWERHYRHIVHIZIP
STIHIPHWKIXXYVRIHMRXSEKMERXKEQISJ'SYRXIVWXVMOIFIX[IIRGVE^]
JEMXLVMHHIRNMLEHMWXQSXLIVWERHGVE^]JEMXLVMHHIR%QIVMGERVIHRIGO
QSXLIVWIEGLHSMRKXLIMVFIWXXSXYVRXLIIRXMVI[SVPHMRXSSRIX]TISJ
fascist nightmare or another. 9
The cybernarratives of SF privilege curiosity, questioning, and exploration of ideas (perhaps one of the reasons why it is often dismissed as
MQQEXYVISVEHSPIWGIRXMJEHSPIWGIRGIMWEFSYXER]XLMRKMXMWEFSYX
the cultivation of the imagination and the refusal to accept the status
quo). The cybernarratives of society, on the other hand, tend by their
very nature to preach conformity, stability, and obeisance to established
ZEPYIW-RXLIEHHVIWWUYSXIHIEVPMIV;EVVIR)PPMWMHIRXMIWXLIHERKIVW
SJWYGLERETTVSEGL
A writer called Ventakesh Rao recently used the term manufactured normal
cy to describe this.The idea is that things are designed to activate a psy
chological predisposition to believe that were in a static and dull continuous
TVIWIRX%XIQTSVEPMX]GSRWMHIVIHXSFIXLIGSRHMXMSRSJXLIIEVP]WXGIRXYV]
[...]
We hold up iPhones and, if were relatively conscious of history, we point out
that this is an amazing device that contains a live map of the world and
the biggest libraries imaginable and that its an absolute paradigm shift in
personal communication and empowerment. And then some knob says that it
looks like something from Star Trek Next Generation, and then someone else
says that it doesnt even look as cool as Captain Kirks communicator in the
original and then someone else says no but you can buy a case for it to make
it look like one and youre off to the manufactured normalcy races, where
RSFSH][MRWFIGEYWIIZIV]SRIKSIWXSMRKWPIIT10.

8LIVIMWRSTVEGXMGEPSFWXEGPI[LEXIZIVRS[XSXLIGVIEXMSRSJERIJGMIRX
index to all human knowledge, ideas and achievements, to the creation, that is,
of a complete planetary memory for all mankind.6
-R:ERRIZEV&YWLTYFPMWLIH%W;I1E]8LMRO[LMGLTVSTSWIH
XLI1)1)<EXIVQMREP[LMGL[SYPHEPPS[EYWIVXSEGGIWWER]MXIQSJ
ORS[PIHKIJVSQER][LIVI8LIRMR%VXLYV''PEVOITVSTSWIH
XLEXXSXLMW;SVPH0MFVEV][SYPHFIGSYTPIHEWYTIVGSQTYXIVXLI
;SVPH&VEMR [LMGL[SYPHFIYWIHXSRHWSPYXMSRWXSEPPXLI[SVPHW
problems. Put together, these three authors appear to have predicted
XLI;IFERH;MOMTIHMERSRISJXLIQJSVIWE[PSPGEX^SVGLERSV
Twitter, or.... feel free to add to the list.

If we as a country, a culture, or even as a species are to survive (and

history tells us that extinction is the norm, rather than the exception),
then we need to be producing narratives which inculcate a sense of
wonder and a desire to move beyond the conventional. Speaking for
Q]S[RIPHREQIP]IHYGEXMSRMXMWGPIEVXSWIIXLEXXLMWMWWEHP]EPP
XSSVEVI-RXLI9/[IEWWIWWQIEWYVIERHXIWXSYVGLMPHVIRQSVI
XLERER]SXLIVREXMSRMR;IWXIVR)YVSTIERHEWEVIWYPXXIEGLIVWEVI
XVETTIHMRXSXIEGLMRKXSXLIXIWXPIEZMRKPMXXPISVRSXMQIXSIRGSYVEKI
MRHITIRHIRGISVGVMXMGEPXLMROMRKSVXSPSSOFI]SRHXLIGSRRIWSJXLI
GYVVMGYPYQ-XMWLEVHXSWIILS[XLMWFIRIXWXLIXIEGLIVWXLIXEYKLX
SV9/4PG;MXLMR'SQTYXIV7XYHMIWEWYFNIGX[LMGL[SYPHETTIEVXS
be of interest to readers of Cyber Talk), we have seen a declared desire
at government level to encourage uptake and to develop students
EFMPMX]XSTVSKVEQ%WXLIVITSVX'SQTYXIV7GMIRGIEWEWGLSSP
WYFNIGX7IM^MRKXLISTTSVXYRMX]WE]WWYGLERETTVSEGLMWMREHIUYEXI

%XMXWFIWX7*MWERI\XVETSPEXMZIRSXETVIHMGXMZIQIHMYQMXMWPIWW
GSRGIVRIH[MXLXLMRKWXSGSQIXLERXLMRKWXLEXQMKLXRSX GSQIMJ
[IHSRX KIXSYVEGXXSKIXLIV%W8LSQEW(MWGLTYXMX
WGMIRGIGXMSRMWRSXEFSYXTVIHMGXMRKXLIJYXYVIFYXI\EQMRMRKXLITVIWIRX
The world that Aldous Huxley depicts in Brave New World is not some hypo
XLIXMGEPXSQSVVS[MXMWXLIXLVMPPIHERHLSVVMIHVIEGXMSRSJERYTTIVGPEWW
)RKPMWLQERVIEGXMRKXSLMWVWXZMWMXXS.E^^%KI%QIVMGEEREXMSRXLEXZEPYIW
the feelies (Hollywood movies) above the tragic vision of Shakespeare.The
world that George Orwell envisaged in 1984 is simply a darker version of the
year it was written, 1948. 7

?ATVSKVEQQMRKMWRSXXLIWEQIEW'SQTYXIV7GMIRGI(MNOWXVEJEmously remarked that Computer science is no more about computers

XLEREWXVSRSQ]MWEFSYXXIPIWGSTIWERHXLEXRIEXP]IRGETWYPEXIWXLI
point. Computer Science fundamentally consists of concepts, ideas,
principles, and techniques, such as algorithms, data structures, and abstraction. [...] That is the goal. Coding is an essential means towards that
KSEPERHEZIV]IQTPS]EFPIEWWIXEW[IPP&YX[IQYWXKYEVHEKEMRWX;I
LEZIEGSYVWIMR.EZEWSSJGSYVWI[IEVIXIEGLMRK'SQTYXIV7GMIRGI
Concepts endure for a lifetime, whilst particular skills (such as a particular programming language) will date11.




How do we promote Computer Science in schools? Not through a narraXMZIXLEXWE]WXLMW[MPPFIYWIJYPKSSHJSV]SYXLIIEX]SYVKVIIRWWXVEXegy will never appeal. A more successful approach may be to leave copies
SJ'SV](SGXSVS[W0MXXPI&VSXLIVP]MRKEVSYRHXLMW]SYRKEHYPXRSZIP[MPP
teach its target audience a great deal about how technology works, and
LS[MXGER[SVOJSVXLIQMXEPWSKIXWXLIQXLMROMRKEFSYXMWWYIWSJIXLMGW
MRHMZMHYEPVIWTSRWMFMPMX]ERHIQTS[IVQIRXEGVEWLGSYVWIMRG]FIVIXLics, wrapped up in the packaging of a technothriller. Combine this with
Raspberry Pis and 3D Printers in every school (primary and secondary) in
the country, and we might actually be getting somewhere.
%REXMSREPG]FIVWOMPPWIHYGEXMSRTVSQSXMSRWXVEXIK]QYWXFITPERRIH
at governmental level, and that is where our problem lies. The current
Cabinet is overwhelmingly the product of the prevailing narrative of a
traditional ruling class, schooled in the established model of education for
the British 'PEWWMGEP+VIIOJSVLIPQWQERSVKSZIVRSV
XLIVSSXSJG]FIVRIXMGW SYXSJ'EFMRIXQIQFIVWEVIQEPI
EVI[LMXIEVI3\FVMHKIKVEHYEXIWERHLEZIEHIKVIIMR44)RSRI
are scientists (and no, economics does not count). As a degree, PPE was
MRXVSHYGIHMRXLIWEWXLIMHIEPXVEMRMRKJSVGMZMPWIVZERXWHIWMKRIHXS
VITPEGI'PEWWMGWXLIXMQILEWWYVIP]GSQIXSHIZMWIERI[GYVVMGYPYQXS
prepare those who will inhabit and govern the realm of the digital natives.
And what should such a curriculum include? Skills and technical knowledge,
certainly, mathematics and logic without a doubt, but also a consideration
SJGYPXYVEPMWWYIWI\EQMRMRKLS[XLIXIGLRSPSK]MRYIRGIWWSGMEPERH
individual psychology, and a knowledge of the legal and moral aspects of
cyber as a domain. As the (deeply unfashionable) SF writer Robert Heinlein
TYXWMXMR8MQI)RSYKL*SV0SZI
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion,
butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders,
cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure,
TVSKVEQEGSQTYXIVGSSOEXEWX]QIEPKLXIJGMIRXP]HMIKEPPERXP]
7TIGMEPM^EXMSRMWJSVMRWIGXW
;LEXWLEPP[IEHHXSXLIPMWX#

If we as a country, a culture, or even

as a species are to survivethen
we need to be producing narratives
which inculcate a sense of wonder
and a desire to move beyond the
conventional
References
1
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3
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 0SRHSR*EFIVERH*EFIV 
4
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6
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7
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9
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 >IREVGLIV]GSQ%ZEMPEFPIEXLXXT^IREVGLIV]GSQJYPPXI\XSJXLIKVMQQIEXLSSOJYXYVIXLMRK
 ?%GGIWWIH.YP

)PPMW
11
'SQTYXMRK%X7GLSSP;SVOMRK+VSYT 'SQTYXIV7GMIRGIEWEWGLSSPWYFNIGX 
 7IM^MRKXLISTTSVXYRMX]%ZEMPEFPIEXLXXT[[[GSQTYXMRKEXWGLSSPSVKYOHEXEYTPSEHW
 'EWI JSV 'SQTYXMRKTHJ




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KnIghts of the
K
he
e
Rainb
in
n
abl
a
ab
bl
b
le
l
Rainbow
Table

Cory
Doctorow



Sir Tristan reached across the table and took my fork and held it up to
XLIPMKLXMRWTIGXMRKXLIXMRIWERHGSQTEVMRKMXXSLMWJSVO;SVHPIWWP]
Lady Tracey handed him her fork, too, and after some deliberation, he
picked one and passed the other two back.

The day that our

lawyer told us that
the DA had added a
federal conspiracy
charge to the rap
sheet, I immediately
flashed on what
Abbie Hoffman said
when they served
papers on him
for the Chicago 8
conspiracy trial:
Conspiracy? Man, we cant even
agree on where to have dinner!
I would have said it, but just
after Moszkowski gave us the
bad news, our waitress showed
up and asked Sir Tristan what
he wanted to order.

Lady Tracey waited until hed carefully squared the fork up on his napkin,
keeping it evenly spaced with his knife and framed by a uniform border
of white paper napkin. Then she darted out one hand, snatched the
fork hed so carefully chosen, and licked all its tines, front and back, and
returned it to its spot.
Sir Tristan glared at her and then set the fork aside and picked up the
remaining three and chose the one with the second-most-uniform tines
and once again set to squaring it up on his napkin. I saw the demonic
glee light up Lady Traceys eyes as she made ready to lick this one, too,
ERH-TYXSYXQ]LERHERHGEYKLXLIV[VMWX(SRX-WEMH'SQISR
1]GVEGOIHWOMRVEWTIHSZIV0EH]8VEGI]WWQSSXLRKIVWERHWLI
shuddered involuntarily.
%PPVMKLXGLMPHVIR1SW^OS[WOMWEMH)RSYKL=SYVIFIMRKEVVEMKRIH
tomorrow and I need you all to be on your best behavior. The
Computer Fraud and Abuse charges are bad, add the conspiracy count
and theres a serious chance youre going to end up in a cell until your
XVMEP2SRISJYW[ERXXLEXHS[I#
,IVIEXPEWX[EWWSQIXLMRKXLEXEPPXLIWXSVMIH/RMKLXWSJXLI6EMRFS[
Table could agree upon.

;I/RMKLXWSJXLI6EMRFS[8EFPILEHEP[E]WLEHETVSFPIQ[MXL
VIWXEYVERXWXLEXTVSFPIQWREQI[EW7MV8VMWXER)VOOS[LS[EW
intolerant of lactose, processed carbohydrates, salt, vegans, forks with
bent tines and people with poor grammar. Tristan never spoke above a
whisper, and he affected a huge mustache that made it impossible for
waitresses to read his lips, which made the lengthy negotiations even
PSRKIV2SVQEPP]XLI/RMKLXWSJXLI6EMRFS[8EFPIXVMIHXSRHUYMIX
restaurants where Sir Tristan could dicker at length without having to
whisper directly into the servers ear, but Moszkowski had chosen the
TPEGIEFYW]TM^^ETEVPSVSR8IPIKVETL,MPPPPIH[MXLRSMW]&IVOIPI]
kids. I suppose he thought it would allow us to converse without being
SZIVLIEVH,I[EWETEVERSMHSPHGMZMPVMKLXW\IVFYX/RMKLXWSJXLI
Rainbow Table could have taught him volumes about the practical limits
of privacy.
The three of us stared uncomfortably at one another until Tristan had
conveyed his exacting pizza parameters, Lady Tracey and Moszkowski
took their turns, and then it was my turn.

Once upon a time, in the Duchy of Berkeley in the mythical kingdom

SJ&E]EVIEXLVIIFVEZIORMKLXWHMHW[IEVERSEXLXSKLXXLIJSVGIW
of trolls, creeps, identity thieves, snoops, spooks and the whole motley
army of Internet Evildoers, lo until they breathed their last breath.
;IHMHRXWIXSYXXSFIGSQIORMKLXW;IWIXSYXXSXIWXEGPYWXIV%FMK
big cluster. Tristan got the idea after going to an art installation in which
ERXMUYI4'W[IVIRIX[SVOIHEGVSWWVS[SRVS[SJJEOI1IXVS
[MVIWLIPZMRKIEGL[MXLESTT]MRMXWHVMZI8LIEVXMWXLEHHSRI
WSQIGPIZIVQSNSXSWTEREWMRKPIVIHYRHERX+&PIW]WXIQEGVSWW
the whole cluster, which was used to store and retrieve a constantly
YTHEXMRKPSSTSJZMHISWLSX[MXLEWMRKPIGEQIVE\IHMRXSXLIGIMPMRK
looking down on the exhibition. The artist had hired about a dozen kids
SRVSPPIVWOEXIWXSVMHIEVSYRHXLIVEGOWW[ETTMRKSYXSTTMIWEWXLI]
[IRXGSVVYTXXLIZMHISSRXLIFMKWGVIIRNYHHIVMRKIZIV]XMQIXLMW
LETTIRIHERHXLIPIW]WXIQVIGSZIVIH

,IVIWXLIXVYXL-QMKLXQEOIJYRSJ7MV8VMWXERWSVHIVMRKTIGGEHMPPSIW-
might sneer at Moszkowskis privacy naivet, I might turn up my nose at
the pineapple and anchovies that Lady Tracey eats with such gusto, but
the fact is, at least they can all *eat,* which is more than you can say for
me.

So my idea was why not build something you know useful out of all
XLISPHGSQTYXIVNYROEVSYRHLIVIPMOIEGPYWXIVSVWSQIXLMRK#8VMWXER
always had the least punctuation of anyone I knew, but he made up for
this by inserting extra excited spittle between his words as he talked.

-PPLEZIEKPEWWSJ[EXIV-WEMHERHIRHYVIHXLVIITEMVWSJI]IWPSSOMRK
at me with that mixture of pity and disgust Ive come to know so well.
My stomach growled at me, a sound I felt to my eyebrows, and I touched
Q]QMHVMJJ[MXLSRIFSR]RKIVEJIIPMRKPMOIEHVMIHSYXHVYQLIEHXLI
skin stretched so tight and desiccated that it rustled.

;LIVI[SYPH[IOIITMX#-WEMH%XXLIXMQI8VMWXERERH-[IVIWLEVMRK
ESRIFIHVSSQETEVXQIRXRIEVGEQTYW-WPITXMRXLIPMZMRKVSSQ;LIR
we had houseguests (itinerant hackers, mostly), they slept on an air
QEXXVIWWSRXLIOMXGLIRSSV

8LI[EMXVIWWVIEGLIHSYX[MXLEGLI[IHRKIVREMPERHXETTIH
XLIWGVEXGLIHWMKRSRXLIXEFPIXLEXWEMHQMRMQYQSVHIVTIV
GYWXSQIV-HEPVIEH]RSXMGIHXLIWMKR-WPMHSYXXLIFMPP-HTPEGIH
YRHIVQ]JSVOERHORMJIERHTEWWIHMXXSLIV-XWGSSP-WEMH

;LEXEFSYXXLIIPIGXVMGFMPP#8VEGI]WEMH7LIHFSWWIHEGSPSMR8I\EW
before she moved to Berkeley for college. She could quote the formula
JSVGEPGYPEXMRKXLIRIXEQTIVEKITIVSTJSVXLIGLMPPIVWJVSQQIQSV]
;LEXEFSYXEHQMRMWXVEXMSR#;LEXEFSYXFEGOLEYP#

She rolled her eyes with youthful eloquence and walked off, leaving our
conspiracy to get back to business.

Tristan shrugged and twirled up some of his mustache and stuck it in

LMWQSYXL2IMXLIVSJYWXSSOER]RSXMGILIHFIIRHSMRKXLEXWMRGI
JVIWLQER]IEV[LIR[IXLVIILEHEGIHENSMRXTVSNIGXXSKIXLIVXLEXPIH
to frequent hanging out and then roommatehood and even a short-lived
and mercifully painless romance between Tracey and me. I dont know
FYX[LEXEFSYXEGPYWXIV#-QIEREFMKSRIPMOIEXIVESTSVFMKKIV-NYWX
XLSYKLXMXHFIGSSP

=SYORS[-WEMHJSVEKERKSJWYTIVGVMQMREPW[IVIETVIXX]WSVV]
FYRGL1SW^OS[WOMWEMH-QKSMRKXSTVIXIRH]SYHMHRXWE]XLEX



;IEHQMXXIHXLMW[EWWSERH[IRXSRXSXLIRI\X
thing and the next and several days went by before
Tracey forwarded us both an email about the
engineering faculty inheriting a semi-derelict brick
factory near the docklands as a bequest on the
GSRHMXMSRXLEXXLI]RSXWIPPMXJSV]IEVW8VMWXER
wrote most of the proposal (he was much better
MRTVMRXXLERLI[EWMRTIVWSR 8VEGI]PPIHMRXLI
technical details, and I made the pitch to a prof we all
liked and he passed it up the food chain and we ended
YT[MXLWUYEVIJIIXEFSYXSRIXIRXLSJXLI
available square footage.
;IVMKKIHXLI[EXIVGSSPMRKSYVWIPZIWYWMRKWIE
water. Our faculty supervisor carefully ensured that
LIHMHRXORS[[LEX[I[IVIHSMRK%XVWXXLIVI
were a few other groups that applied for space in the
Brick Shithouse (as the factory was instantly dubbed,
thanks in part to the faint sewage smell that no
amount of airing could get rid of ). But no one really
wanted to haul ass out to the Shithouse and soon
[ILEHXLITPEGIEPPXSSYVWIPZIW3YVWUYEVI
feet quickly grew to nearly the whole building, row
on row of PCs of every description salvaged from
campus and nearby, wiped and enlinuxed, networked
and left to wheeze for as long as they went on
[SVOMRK%XER]KMZIRXMQIEFSYXTIVGIRXSJXLI
cluster was nonfunctional, and we made good use
of impressionable freshmen whom we sourced via
Craigslist and threw at the problem machines, letting
XLIQOIIT[LEXIZIVXLI]GSYPH\8LMWWSYRHW
^IVSWYQMJXLI]XSSOIZIV]XLMRKXLI]\IH[SYPHRX
that mean that the dead machines would disappear?
&YX\MRKGSQTYXIVWMWPMOIIEXMRKTSXEXSGLMTWQSWX
TISTPIGERXWXSTEXNYWXSRI)EGLSRIMWETIVJIGX
puzzle of vendor defects, material wear, capricious
software ghouls, and emergent phenomena. The brainreward for restoring a genuinely threadbare PC to
active duty was more psychotropic than anything for
sale in Peoples Park.

So my idea
was why
not build
something you
know useful
out of all the
old computer
junk around
here like a
cluster or
something?

,S[QYGLTS[IVHMH[ILEZI#0IWWXLER+SSKPI
more than all the radio astronomers in Europe,
GSQFMRIH8LIRYQFIVMWRXMQTSVXERXXSFY]ER
LSYVW[SVXLSJEWQYGL'49EW[IEWWIQFPIHMR
todays cloud marketplace, youd have to work for two
hours at minimum wage. Our pizza waitress could
blow us out of the water and still have enough left for
rent, assuming she had a roommate.
;LEXHMH[IHS[MXLEPPXLEXTS[IV#%XVWX[INYWX
IRXIVIHZEVMSYWFMKGSQTYXEXMSRTVSNIGXWXLVS[MRK
SYVJEVQEX*SPHMRK$,SQIXSHSWSQILERHMP]
parallelizable fast Fourier transforms in order to help
KLX%-(7ERHGERGIVERHWYGL8LMWMWI\XVIQIP]
altruistic work, but its not very interesting from
a research perspective. As interesting as it was to
step into the frigid Shithouse and be engulfed in the
[LMXIRSMWINIX[EWLSJEPPXLIGSQTYXIVW[I[IVIRX
learning anything about our cluster or its individual
components.
It was Tracey who decided to go after rainbow tables,
these being something of a holy grail in the security
IPH-X[EW8VEGI][LSQEHIYWXLI/RMKLXWSJXLI
Rainbow Table, and set our destiny in motion. But I
forgive her.

an Erkko
Sir Trist

31

To understand rainbow tables, you need to understand hashfunctions. These are fundamental units of the cryptographic
arts, and what they do is easy to grasp but requires either
a large amount of math or a large amount of faith. For the
purposes of this account, I will go with faith.
Take it on faith, if you will that there is a way to convert one
blob of text (the password) into another blob of text (the
LEWL WYGLXLEXMXMWQEXLIQEXMGEPP]GIVXEMRXLEX
a)


No amount of work will permit you to determine

[LMGLTEWW[SVHMWVIWTSRWMFPIJSVGVIEXMRK[LMGLLEWL
and
b) The same password always produces the same hash.
If you will permit me this axiom, we can proceed without
equations. Should you require equations to accept it, by all
means, go look them up and then come back, you faithless
wretch.
,EWLMRKJYRGXMSRWEVIFMTSPEV]SYGERRIZIVHIXIVQMRI[LEX
password created them, but you can always redetermine
XLILEWLF]JIIHMRKXLIWEQITEWW[SVHFEGOXSMXXLI]EVI
mysterious and deterministic all at once.
-QEKMRIXLEX]SYLEZIGVIEXIHEKSSHTEWW[SVHXLEXMW
one that does not appear in any dictionary that has been
written, nor any dictionary that some clever person might
create (say, by taking all the words in the English language
and substituting 1 for L and 3 for E and so forth).You
visit a website and the server says, Please give me a good
TEWW[SVH=SYWYTTP]MX8LIWIVZIVGSQTYXIWMXWLEWLERH
sticks that in a database, and throws away your original
password.
The next time you visit the site, it will ask you for your
TEWW[SVHEKEMR;LIR]SYTVSZMHIMXMXVYRWMXXLVSYKL
the hashing function again (again discarding your original
TEWW[SVH[LMGLMXHSIWRSX[ERXXSORS[ ERHGSQTEVIW
XLILEWLIHZEPYI[MXLXLIWXSVIHLEWLSRPI-JXLI]QEXGL
MXORS[WXLEX]SYLEZIIRXIVIHXLITEWW[SVHGSVVIGXP]FYX
MXWXMPPHSIWRXORS[[LEXXLITEWW[SVHMW
A computer that only knows hashes and not passwords is
EWIGYVIPMXXPIFIEWXFIGEYWIIZIRMJXLIPISJLEWLIWPIEOW
into the wide world, theres nothing a hacker can do with
XLIQ)ZIRMJWLIWGETXYVIHXLILEWLSJ]SYV;M*MTEWW[SVH
or your banking password or your ereader password, it will
HSLIVRSKSSHWLIGERJIIHXLIQXSXLI;M*MRIX[SVOSV
the bank or the ereader without gain. In order to gain access
the hacker needs to know the password, not its hash. Thus
a computer can be secured with a minimum of secrecy, and
thats good, because secrets are very hard to keep (more on
this anon).

Youre
joking,
right? Once
youve got
swords,
you cant
*not* have
swords. Are
you going
to take
apart the
Shithouse?

Think of hashed passwords as the language of a dead culture

with no progeny, a remarkable, forgotten people who had
an equivalent word for every word in every contemporary
language and even for our non-words and nonsense and
who left a key for translating our written phrases into theirs,
but with no key by which we might go in the opposite
direction. As these foreign words have no cognates with our
own, there is no way to guess, merely by reading a word in
Hashese, what its contemporary equivalent might be.

Lady Tracey



Combine that with the screaming doubling curve that computer power
rides and you got our shelves, where a given computer might be, quite
literally, a million times faster than its neighbor (and like as not, it would
FIGSRWYQMRKEXIRXLSJXLITS[IVXEPOEFSYXIGSKYMPX[I[IVIE
SRIFYMPHMRKGEVFSRGVMQI[EZI ;ILEHLIXIVSKIRIMX]JSVHE]WERH
with that salmagundi came any number of chewy, interesting clustering
TVSFPIQW;LMGLGSQTYXIVWWLSYPHFIMRGLEVKISJ[SVOMRKXVERWPEXMRK
passwords into hashes), and which computers should be in charge of
apportioning work? How do you index whats on which

Enter the rainbow table. Imagine that you fed a dictionary into the
hashing algorithm and made a table of the hashed equivalent of every
word, and even non-words, such as words in combination, words with
simple substitutions, slang, vernacular, foreign words, common phrases.
Then, having captured a passwords hash, you could compare it with
every one of those hashed words look it up in your handy English,EWLIWI,EWLIWI)RKPMWLHMGXMSREV]ERHSYXTSTWXLIWIGVIXTEWW[SVH
no longer a secret. Now you have the password, which is all you need
to successfully impersonate its owner to some naive computer, and
mischief awaits.
;LEX[SYPH[IHS[MXLVEMRFS[XEFPIW-QRSGVSSO8VMWXER
muttered from under his mustache, as he idly punched the product ID
SJJETSXIRXMEPP]JEYPX]RIX[SVOGEVHMRXS+SSKPIXSWIIMJER]SRILEH
written alternative drivers for it.
8VEGI]WXEVXIHXSERW[IVFYXNYWXXLIRSRISJSYVYRHIVKVEHXIGLRMGMERW
GEQIXSXLIHSSVSJXLI7LMXLSYWIWPMXXPISJGIVITSVXMRKEJEYPXMR
the cooling system. The cooling system had a *lot* of faults, because
[EXIVGSSPMRKW]WXIQWXLEXYWIWIE[EXIVEVINYWXWXYTMHKMZIRXLEX
sea-water gradually eats everything that contains it, and what it doesnt
eat, it chokes with a sclerotic crust of dried salts. Not that we had any
choice, because running traditional chillers would have clobbered the
Shithouses annual budget in a matter of weeks, and without aggressive
GSSPMRKXLITPEGI[SYPHWTMOIEX'MREFSYXZIQMRYXIWERHXLIR
it would be a race to see whether the assembled computers fused and
HMIHFIJSVIXLI]GSYPHWXEVXEVIXLEXOMPPIHYWEPP
Cooling took priority.
;LIR8VEGI]GEQIFEGOMX[EWEQMRSVTYQTTVSFPIQXLEX[IHEPP
\IHEHS^IRXMQIWERHMX[EWQSWXP]NYWXEQEXXIVSJORS[MRK[LIVI
XSOMGOERHLS[LEVHWLIWEMH;L]VEMRFS[XEFPIW#8[SVIEWSRWVWX
XLI]EVIGSSPERHWIGSRHXLI]TEVEPPIPM^I

computer, and what do you do about recovering a computers lost

work when it dies? Should more common words be stored on faster
GSQTYXIVWSVQSVIGSQTYXIVWSVFSXL#3VHSIWKYVMRKSYX[LMGL
TEWW[SVHXSTYX[LIVIGSWXQSVIXLER[IHWEZIF]NYWXHYQTMRK
passwords into computers at random? These are meaty and interesting
WYFNIGXWERH[I[EKIHEVKYQIRXWFEGOERHJSVXLERHYTERHHS[R
about them and wrote feverish code to prove our points of view and
never got around to writing up any papers for publication, though we
WYVIWXEVXIHTPIRX];IGSYPHLEZILEHER%'1NSYVREPHIHMGEXIHXSYW
*Journal of Incomplete Research Into Distributed Computing.*
8LI6EMRFS[8EFPIW4VSNIGXLEHFIIRYTERHVYRRMRKJSVEQSRXL[LIR
8VMWXERGEPPIHQIJVSQ[SVOLILEHE[EKIWPEZIKMKRIXYRMRKWSQI
semi- fraudulent search engine optimization tools at a doomed Oakland
WXEVXYT[LIVILI[EWKIXXLMW XLIFIWXEHNYWXIHTVSKVEQQIVSRWXEJJ
-QXLMROMRKSJ[SVQXVEMPWSVERXXVEMPWSVWSQIXLMRKPMOIXLEXLI
WEMH2MGIXSLIEVJVSQ]SYXSS8VMWXER-WEMH;IHMHRXYWITLSRIW
for voice-calls much, various IMs being much cleaner, cryptographically
sound, and suited to multitasking. But sometimes Tristan needed to say
things aloud to make sure he knew them. But his phone manner was
dreadful.
7S[LIR]SYPSSOYTETEWW[SVH]SYNYWXEWOEVERHSQGSQTYXIV
and if it doesnt have it it asks a random computer and so on and so on
YRXMPMXRHWXLITEWW[SVH8LIRXLIGSQTYXIV[MXLXLITEWW[SVHXIPPW
the next computer and it tells the next and it tells the next and they all
store the passwords. Like a pheromone trail. Like ants. So the more you
ask for a password the more available it becomes the more pathways
there are to it like. It gets more robust the more you use it. Plus well
be able to see which passwords are commonest over time because the
RIX[SVO[MPPIZSPZIXSQEXGLXLIQ-GSYPHLIEVXLIWTMXXPI]MRK,I
was on a roll.

That was the kicker, parallelization. A parallelizable problem is one that

can be worked on in lots of different places because no step relies on
XLISYXTYXJVSQETVIZMSYWWXIT8LMROSJWXYJRKIRZIPSTIW[MXLJVMIRHW
SRIKVSYTSJJVMIRHWGEREHHVIWWIRZIPSTIWERSXLIVGERPPXLIQERHE
XLMVHGERVYRXLIQXLVSYKLXLITSWXEKIQIXIV8LEXWTVIXX]TEVEPPM^EFPI
MJ]SYRMWL[MXLXLIQIXIVFIJSVIXLIWXYJRKKVSYTMWHSRI]SYGER
KVEFEWXEGOSJQIXIVIHIRZIPSTIWERHWXEVXWXYJRKXSS-RXLISV]SRI
slow doofus wont leave a roomful of people sitting around, fuming.
2S[GSQTEVIXLEX[MXLEWIVMEPXEWOPMOIEWWIQFPMRKENIXIRKMRISR
an assembly line. First, Alice screws on one dingus, then Bill attaches a
dingus to that, and Carol attaches a dingus to *that,* and so on, all the
[E]XS>IOIXXMRKXLIGS[PMRKEXXLISXLIVIRHSJXLIEWWIQFP]PMRI-J
Alice had a wild night last night and is dragging her ass as a result, Bob,
'EVSPERHXLIVIWX]IEYRXS>IOIEVIKSMRKXSFIWXYGO[MXLXLYQFW
VQP]TPERXIHYTXLIMVEPMQIRXEV]GEREPW-XQMKLXFITSWWMFPIXSVIHIWMKR
ENIXIRKMRIJEGXSV]XSVYR[MXLQSVITEVEPPIPXEWOWXLMROSJXLIJEQIH
Japanese car companies where small teams assemble whole cars, where
SRIXIEQWHVEKEWWMRKHSIWRXLSPHYTXLIJEGXSV]FYXXLIVIWEPSXSJ
computation where the next step depends on the previous one and the
more of that there is, the less you can do with a big parallel cluster.
Of course, theres always some extent to which problems are serial.
If theres one guy whos really slow with the address labels, eventually,
]SYVIEPPKSMRKXSFIWMXXMRKEVSYRH[EMXMRKJSVLMQXSRMWLSJJLMW
WLIIXPSSOMRKQIERMRKJYPP]EX]SYV[EXGLIWERHXV]MRKXSKYVISYX
when the last bus goes.

And he was right. Tracey saw it right away and helped me with a formal
TVSSJ&YXIZIRFIJSVI-HRMWLIHXLEX8VMWXER[EWGSHMRKMX8VEGI][EW
debugging it and I was writing test cases for it and you know what? It
worked.

Moszkowski sends us email in the clear, no encryption. He relies on

XLIWIGYVMX]SJLMWLSQIERHSJGIRIX[SVOWERHXLIMRXIVGSRRIGXMSRW
between his ISPs and ours to protect and secure our communications.
1SW^OS[WOMLEWRXKYVIHSYX]IXXLEXEPPXLEXWXYJJMWERSTIRFSSOSV
MJLIWKYVIHMXSYXLILEWRXJIPXMXMRLMWKYXWSVLMWFPSSHSVLMWFEPPW
or wherever you need to feel a hard truth before you really know it.
Im still looking for a technical expert, someone I can put on the stand
[LSGERI\TPEMRXLIWSGMEPP]FIRIGMEPEWTIGXWSJ]SYV[SVO2SRISJ
the names youve suggested have panned out. This is important, guys.
It sure would have helped if youd published or given some learned
presentations at big conferences or something. I want to put you in
JVSRXSJXLINYHKIEWRSFPIWIGYVMX]VIWIEVGLIVW[LS[SVOIHMRXLI
WIVZMGISJEFIXXIV[SVPHFYX-GERSRP]HSXLEXMJ-GERRHWSQISRI
SXLIVXLER]SYXSWE]MX

The Shithouse was full of computers which were, basically, that guy.
;IHMHRXHMWGVMQMREXI[LIRMXGEQIXSXLIVIWGYIERMQEPW[IXSSOMR
nursed to health and set to productive use. The basements and dorm
rooms and storage lockers of Berkeley vomited forth a steady stream of
NYROLEVH[EVIWXYJJXLEXXLIKVERSPSMHQEWWIWGSYPHRXFIEVXSWIRHXS
EPERHPP)ZIV]XMQI'22WLS[IHERSXLIVI\TSWqJIEXYVMRKFPMWXIVIH
engoitered Chinese kids laboring over acid vats to strip apart ewaste,
we got a fresh shipment of guilt and shame and obsolescence.

The conversation that transpired afterwards is encrypted to a nicety, because we know that passwords are a dead letter.

33

You see, one day, our cluster got so big that we could
factor every single password that a human being could
VIQIQFIVIZIV]TLVEWIIZIV]RSRWIRWIWXVMRKYT
XSGLEVEGXIVW2S[WSQI[LIVISYXXLIVIMWE
memnist freak or stage performer who can do better
than that, but he probably doesnt have any secrets
worth keeping.
+IXXMRKXLI7LMXLSYWIXSXLEXWGEPIVIUYMVIHHMWGMTPMRI
At a certain point, we needed to actually go around
and pull the plug on a lot of old-school gear, rescind
SYVEPPGSQIVW[IPGSQITSPMG];IVITPEGIHMX[MXLE
four-cores-or- go-home rule, and then bumped that
XSWM\GSVIWXLIRIMKLX-XHMHRXQEXXIVSYXMRXLIVIEP
world of retail hardware, they were shoving cores into
cheapass consumer hardware so fast that we could
afford to monotonically raise the bar for donations and
still never run short.

Justice League
of the Rainbow
Table isnt
nearly so cool as

Knights
of the
Rainbow
Table,
is it?

;IVERMXEKEMRWXXLIWEPXWYWIH
JSV[IPPORS[R;M*MVSYXIVW
and produced tables that we
uploaded to cheap cloud storage,
clearing the hard-drives for the
RI\XVSYRHTEWW[SVHLEWLIWJSV
QENSV37IWLEWLIWJSVIQFIHHIH
systems, photocopiers, keyless entry
door-locks . . . Theoretically, the
manufacturers could have made these much stronger
but they werent thinking ahead to the day when three
weirdos might build themselves a cluster that could
KVMRHGIEWIPIWWP]XLVSYKLXLI[LSPIYRMZIVWISJEXS
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And after a while, the cluster got big enough to
recompute against any new salt in pretty short
time, especially with our information about the
QSWXGSQQSRTEWW[SVHW;I[IVITVIXX]WIPJ
GSRKVEXYPEXSV]-QYWXEHQMXZIV]TVSYHXSLEZISYX
thought all those silly engineers and product managers.
Of course, none of *us* had the foresight to imagine
that the day was coming when you could replicate our
[SVOJSV[SVXLSJXMQISREGLIIW]GPSYHLSWXMR
Bulgaria or some other exotic place. No, we were too
busy forming an order of knights.
/RMKLXLSSH#8VEGI]ERH8VMWXERPSSOIHEXQIPMOI-
was insane.
-JIPXQ]GLMRNYXSYXEXEFIPPMKIVIRXERKPIERH-VIIPIH
it back in. Its either that or a league of super-heroes.
Look, with great power comes great responsibility.
;IRIIHEQSVEPGSQTEWWXSIRWYVIXLEX[IYWI
SYVTS[IVWJSVKSSH;IRIIHGLMZEPV]EGSHI2S[
superheroes are cool and all, but the Justice League of
XLI6EMRFS[8EFPIMWRXRIEVP]WSGSSPEW/RMKLXWSJ
XLI6EMRFS[8EFPIMWMX#

Narrator

To be continued at
www.softbox.Co.uk/
knightsoftherainbowtable

34



ADVERTORIAL

)LQG2XW0RUH

01347 812100
cloud@softbox.co.uk
www.softbox.co.uk

The need for Patching has never been so important with the need for PSN
compliance, CESG Guidance for End user devices and the threat it poses
to your network, data and organisation if you do not keep your software and
hardware patches up to date. SBLs Secure Patching Service, DOBUS, has
been unrivaled in its service to the whole of the MoD since 2003, and more
recently to the Police and Counter Terrorism agencies via PSN.
DOBUSHQDEOHVWKHGHOLYHU\RIUHDOWLPHFOHDQDQGYHULHGSDWFKHVWRHQG
point Security, Infrastructure, and Application Software over a secure bearer.
The DOBUS service operates
24x7x365, performs at 99.999% uptime, and
(3&97%HZIVXSVMEP
has received over 18 million visitors in the last four months alone. It delivers
'SRXIRXWYTTPMIH
FULWLFDOSDWFKHVHJDQWLYLUXVVLJQDWXUHXSGDWHVLQGHSHQGHQWRIWKHLQWHUQHW
through secured links into Vendor laboratories, and therefore protects users
IURPWKHWKUHDWVSRVHGE\ZHEVLWHVSRRQJDQGWKHLVVXHVRIGRZQORDGORFDWLRQ
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This unique and innovative service has been delivered via a highly robust,
KLJKO\ DFFUHGLWHG DQG KLJKO\ YHUVDWLOH DUFKLWHFWXUH9DULRXV UHVHDUFK SURMHFWV
and pilots are currently underway to scope the delivery of the next generation
of Community Cloud Services via the DOBUS platform. These will include
Secure Email and Rights Management Services, Hosted Collaboration
(QYLURQPHQWV'LJLWDO&HUWLFDWH,VVXDQFH6HUYLFHV6HFXUH)LOH7UDQVIHU2Q
line Backup services and many more.


DOBUS is an essential element in PSN CoCo Compliance

DOBUSSURYLGHV\RXU3DWFKHV3DUWRI&(6*VVWHSVWR
cyber security

DOBUS is an essential element in PSN CoCo Compliance

DOBUS provides an active measure against Security/Data losses

which can be avoided by patching regularly

DOBUSPDNHVWKHSURFHVVHDVLHUDOOSDWFKHV\RXQHHG
available under a single URL, all from a trusted and assured source
so you can deploy patches more quickly across your environment.

DOBUS has the pedigree having been the UK MoDs single

recommended source of secure updates since 2003, used by PSN
3URYLGHUVDQGGHOLYHULQJYLDWKH361WR-XVWLFH2UJDQLVDWLRQVLQ
2014.

In addition to a newly developed comprehensive range of secure patch

PDQDJHPHQWVROXWLRQV6%/VQHZ&ORXG6HUYLFHVLQFOXGHVHFXUH&ORXGEDVHG
Backup, Archive and Recovery as well as Collaboration tools.
Additionally, DOBUS is expanding its reach onto the UK PSN (Public Service
1HWZRUN GHOLYHULQJ WKH WUXVWHG VHUYLFHV WKH 0R' KDYH EHHQ UHO\LQJ RQ IRU
years to many more public sector organisations.

www.softbox.co.uk/cloud-based-it-services/dobus

36

)LQG2XW0RUH

01347 812100
cloud@softbox.co.uk
www.softbox.co.uk

The need for Patching has never been so important with the need for PSN
compliance, CESG Guidance for End user devices and the threat it poses
to your network, data and organisation if you do not keep your software and
hardware patches up to date. SBLs Secure Patching Service, DOBUS, has
been unrivaled in its service to the whole of the MoD since 2003, and more
recently to the Police and Counter Terrorism agencies via PSN.
DOBUSHQDEOHVWKHGHOLYHU\RIUHDOWLPHFOHDQDQGYHULHGSDWFKHVWRHQG
point Security, Infrastructure, and Application Software over a secure bearer.
The DOBUS service operates 24x7x365, performs at 99.999% uptime, and
has received over 18 million visitors in the last four months alone. It delivers
FULWLFDOSDWFKHVHJDQWLYLUXVVLJQDWXUHXSGDWHVLQGHSHQGHQWRIWKHLQWHUQHW
through secured links into Vendor laboratories, and therefore protects users
IURPWKHWKUHDWVSRVHGE\ZHEVLWHVSRRQJDQGWKHLVVXHVRIGRZQORDGORFDWLRQ
RYHUVXEVFULSWLRQERWKFRPPRQFKDUDFWHULVWLFVZLWKLQPDMRUPDOZDUHHYHQWV
This unique and innovative service has been delivered via a highly robust,
KLJKO\ DFFUHGLWHG DQG KLJKO\ YHUVDWLOH DUFKLWHFWXUH9DULRXV UHVHDUFK SURMHFWV
and pilots are currently underway to scope the delivery of the next generation
of Community Cloud Services via the DOBUS platform. These will include
Secure Email and Rights Management Services, Hosted Collaboration
(QYLURQPHQWV'LJLWDO&HUWLFDWH,VVXDQFH6HUYLFHV6HFXUH)LOH7UDQVIHU2Q
line Backup services and many more.


DOBUS is an essential element in PSN CoCo Compliance

DOBUSSURYLGHV\RXU3DWFKHV3DUWRI&(6*VVWHSVWR
cyber security

DOBUS is an essential element in PSN CoCo Compliance

DOBUS provides an active measure against Security/Data losses

which can be avoided by patching regularly

DOBUSPDNHVWKHSURFHVVHDVLHUDOOSDWFKHV\RXQHHG
available under a single URL, all from a trusted and assured source
so you can deploy patches more quickly across your environment.

DOBUS has the pedigree having been the UK MoDs single

recommended source of secure updates since 2003, used by PSN
3URYLGHUVDQGGHOLYHULQJYLDWKH361WR-XVWLFH2UJDQLVDWLRQVLQ
2014.

In addition to a newly developed comprehensive range of secure patch

PDQDJHPHQWVROXWLRQV6%/VQHZ&ORXG6HUYLFHVLQFOXGHVHFXUH&ORXGEDVHG
Backup, Archive and Recovery as well as Collaboration tools.
Additionally, DOBUS is expanding its reach onto the UK PSN (Public Service
1HWZRUN GHOLYHULQJ WKH WUXVWHG VHUYLFHV WKH 0R' KDYH EHHQ UHO\LQJ RQ IRU
years to many more public sector organisations.

37

www.softbox.co.uk/cloud-based-it-services/dobus

t
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5
The 2 nt
Importa
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i
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S
Fiction

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so far!

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In terms of helping
drive human advancement and the
development of our species, Science Fiction
LVXQSDUDOOHOHG,WVLQXHQFHRQWKHJHQHUDOSXEOLFLVVR
great because the best examples of it quite literally shape the
world we live in.
Science Fiction is often described as the literature of change and for good reason.
Strangely for a genre so often set in alien worlds, more than any other, Science Fiction
centres on humanity. It paints grave, often dystopian, pictures of future societies and sends
warnings of the, hitherto unprecedented, consequences of our actions today. Whether for better
RUZRUVH6FL)LKDVDQXQFDQQ\NQDFNRIDFFXUDWHO\SUHGLFWLQJDQGLQXHQFLQJIXWXUHWHFKQRORJLHVDQG
RSLQLRQV)URPWKHHDUOLHVWQRYHOVWKURXJKWRWKHEORFNEXVWLQJOPVRIWKHSUHVHQWGD\ZKDWZDVRQFH
FWLRQKDVQRZEHFRPHIDFW

38

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2004 - 2009)

*VSQMXWSVMKMRWEWEJEMVP]XVEWL]W7EXYVHE]RMKLXOMHWWLS[Battlestar
Galactica evolved into one of the most sophisticated, compelling and
SVMKMREPXIPIZMWMSRWIVMIWXLEXWIZIVFIIRQEHI'LVSRMGPMRKXLINSYVRI]
back to Earth of the last surviving humans from the Twelve Colonies of
/SFSPEJXIVXLIMVRYGPIEVERRMLMPEXMSRF]XLI']PSRWEG]FIVRIXMGVEGI
of their own creation, Battlestar Galactica is deeply rooted in the politics
of Bush-era America. The idea to revive the show came shortly after
ERHMXWMRYIRGITIVQIEXIWXLIWXSV]]IXMXHSIW[MXLWMKRMGERXP]
more sensitivity and astuteness than many contemporary series
responses.

'SQTMPMRKEPMWXWYGLEWXLMWMWVMWO]JSVER]KIRVISJGXMSRFYXJSV7GM*M
it is near impossible. The genre is so vast and all encompassing, and the
fans so passionate and vociferous, that the task is viewed as being even
QSVIHMJGYPXXLERWYVZMZMRKER977)RXIVTVMWIWGSYXMRKQMWWMSR[LMPWX
wearing red.
However, never one to shy away from a challenge, CyberTalk now
TVIWIRXWXS]SYSYVPMWXSJXLI1SWX-QTSVXERX7GMIRGI*MGXMSR
;SVOWWSJEV
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
This list isnt in rank order but if it were theres a very good chance that
[SYPHWXMPPFIEGSRXIRHIVJSVXLIXST;LIRMX[EWVWXVIPIEWIH
however, few would have predicted it would still be feted nearly half a
GIRXYV]PEXIV%XMXWTVIQMIVIXLIVI[IVI[EPOSYXWMRGPYHMRK6SGO
,YHWSR[LSEWOIH;MPPWSQISRIXIPPQI[LEXXLILIPPXLMWMWEFSYX#

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)

Steven Spielberg both directed and wrote this epic tale of an ordinary
QERWIRGSYRXIV[MXLE]MRKWEYGIV[LMGLMRWXERXP]FIGEQIEGPEWWMG
(IWTMXIFIMRKEPQSWX]IEVWSPHXLIPQWZMWYEPIJJIGXWWXMPPWXERHYT
today and, along with Star Wars (which was released in the same year)
'PSWI)RGSYRXIVW[EWVIWTSRWMFPIJSVFVIEXLMRKRI[PMJIMRXSEPQKIRVI
that at the time was suffering a serious decline.

8SHE]MXMWGPEWWIHEWSRISJXLIHIRMRKPQWSJXLIXLGIRXYV]
charting the human races interaction with other forms of intelligent
PMJIVEMWMRKERHERW[IVMRKWSQISJXLIFMKUYIWXMSRW;LIVIHMH[I
GSQIJVSQ#;LIVI[IEVIKSMRK#;LEXHSIWMXQIERXSFILYQER#
%RH[LEXEVIXLITIVMPWSJXIGLRSPSK]#7TIGMGEPP][LIR]SYEPPS[XLEX
technology to think for itself.)

'PSWI)RGSYRXIVW most iconic moments (the theme, the mashed-potato

sculpture, etc.) have been so thoroughly absorbed into popular culture
that its easy to forget that its treatment of aliens as peaceful beings
rather than warmongering monsters was somewhat ground-breaking in
1977.

ALIEN (1979)
-JEPQGERFINYHKIHF]XLIEQSYRXSJVMTSJJWMXKIRIVEXIWAlien must
VEROEWSRISJXLIQSWXMRYIRXMEPQSZMIWIZIV6MHPI]7GSXXW7GM*M
horror classic represents that rarest of things, a perfect storm of talent
combing at the right moment to create something beyond special.
Superb performances and still-astounding special effects add to Scotts
stylish direction to create a must-see combination of suspense, slasher
ERXMGWERHKSSHSPHJEWLMSRIHWGM

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951)

%VIEWSRIHTPIEJSVTIEGIMRXLIJEGISJXLIIWGEPEXMRK'SPH;EV6SFIVX
;MWIWWGMGPEWWMGMWETSXIRXTEVEFPIXLEXVIQEMRWEWGLMPPMRKP]VIPIZERX
JSVXLIWXGIRXYV]EWMX[EWJSVXLIPEWX-XEPWSEGXWEWEVIQMRHIVXLEX
XLIFIWXWGMMWEP[E]WEJYWMSRSJWTIGXEGPIERHWXVSRKMHIEWERHXLEX
purposeful direction and a literate script can more than compensate for
limited resources.

A LOGIC NAMED JOE (1945)

8LMWWXSV]F];MPP*.IROMRWFIXXIVORS[RYRHIVXLITIRREQI1YVVE]
Leinster, published In the March 1946 issue of Astounding Science Fiction
MWSRISJXLIVWXXSHIWGVMFIEQEGLMRIXLEXGSYPHFIGSRWMHIVIHE
personal computer.

8LMWPQWYRHIVP]MRKQIWWEKIWSJTEGMWQERHMXWGSRHIQREXMSRSJ
ZMSPIRGIEVIUYMXIFPEXERXERHF]EPPEGGSYRXWXLMWPQMRYIRGIH
4VIWMHIRX6SREPH6IEKERXSWYKKIWXXS1MOLEMP+SVFEGLIZXLEXERI\XVE
terrestrial invasion would trump national differences, something he later
XSPHXLI9RMXIH2EXMSRWEW[IPP

;LMPIQER]IEVPMIV[VMXIVWLEHQIRXMSRIHTSWWMFPIGSQTYXIVWRSRI
understood the power they would have over the day-to-day lives
SJXLIEZIVEKIYWIVEW0IMRWXIVHMH;LEXQEOIWA Logic Named Joe
WSJEWGMREXMRKMWRSXNYWX[LEXLIKSXYRGERRMP]VMKLXFYXLS[QYGL
Leinster understood about people and the way they interact with
machines. The logics in Leinster stories are essential to the lives of the
characters every bit as much as computers and the internet are to
people today. (Read A Logic Named Joe in full on P.64)

DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? (1968)

This novel is the source text for Ridley Scotts masterpiece Blade Runner,
ERHMXWXSEYXLSV4LMPMT/(MGOWGSRWMHIVEFPIGVIHMXXLEXRIMXLIVFSSO
RSVPQWIIQHEXIH7IXMRETSWXETSGEP]TXMGRIEVJYXYVI[LIVI)EVXL
and its populations have been damaged greatly by nuclear war during
;SVPH;EV8IVQMRYWXLIQEMRTPSXJSPPS[W6MGO(IGOEVHEFSYRX]
LYRXIV[LSMWJEGIH[MXLVIXMVMRKWM\IWGETIH2I\YWFVEMRQSHIP
8LIWIW]RXLIXMGLYQERWEPQSWXMQTSWWMFPIXSHMWGIVRJVSQXLIVIEP
XLMRKLEZIIWGETIHJVSQSRISJXLISJJ[SVPHGSPSRMIWERHVIXYVRIH
to Earth.

AVATAR (2009)
It may have been more impressive on a technical level than as a piece
of storytelling, but Avatar is an astonishing feast for the eyes and ears.
From the epic to the tiny details. The level of immersive detail on show
is simply amazing. No wonder, when you consider that director James
'EQIVSRLEHXSVWXMRZIRXXLIRIGIWWEV]XIGLRSPSK]VIUYMVIHXSQEOI
the movie before he could begin work, and in doing so, opened up a
whole new sandbox for directors to play in for years to come.

However, the reason behind the replicants return is interestingly

IQSXMZIXLI][MWLXSPIEHXLIMVS[RPMZIWEWMWXLIVMKLXSJER]WIRXMIRX
FIMRK&YXMXMWRXWSQYGLXLIJYPPQIRXSJXLMWUYIWXXLEXQEXXIVW
VEXLIV(MGOWTLMPSWSTLMGEPI\TPSVEXMSRSJ[LEXFIMRKEPMZIEGXYEPP]
means.

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)

;LIR4VSJ7XITLIR,E[OMRKYWIWEPQXSI\TPEMRWGMIRXMGGSRGITXW
XLIRMXLEWXSFIWMKRMGERX7XIZIR7TMIPFIVKWITMGXMQIXVEZIPPMRK
XVMPSK]WIIWXLILIVSIWNYQTJVSQXSZMEXLIWERHXLI
%QIVMGER;MPH;IWXMRETPYXSRMYQTS[IVIH(IPSVIER

DOCTOR WHO (1963 - PRESENT)

Steven Spielberg once commented that, the world
would be a poorer place without Doctor Who
7MRGIMXFIKERQSVIXLER]IEVWEKSMR
the story of the wandering Time Lord and his
Blue Box has been one of the best loved dramas
SR&VMXMWLXIPIZMWMSRERHLEWFIIRGIVXMIHF]XLI
+YMRRIWW&SSOSJ;SVPH6IGSVHWEWXLIQSWXWYGGIWWJYPWGMWIVMIW
IZIVFIGSQMRKEWMKRMGERXTEVXSJTSTYPEVGYPXYVIEPSRKXLI[E]8LI
WIVMIWVIPEYRGLMRLEWFIIRSRISJXLI&&'WQSWXWYGGIWWJYP
ZIRXYVIWERHLEWGSQIXSHIRI7EXYVHE]RMKLXWJSVGLMPHVIRERHEHYPXW
alike.

-XWJEHMRKTLSXSKVETLLEWFIIRVIJIVIRGIHF]QER]EJERERHEGEHIQMG
(as well as the aforementioned Professor) to explain the potential
HERKIVWSJL]TSXLIXMGEPXMQIXVEZIP[LMPWXMXWTVIHMGXMSRSJPMJI]IEVW
MRXLIJYXYVIMWRSXXSSJEVJVSQXLIXVYXLXLIZMHISGSRJIVIRGMRK
3D movies, motion controlled video games and tablet computers seen
MRW,MPP:EPPI]EVIEPPGSQQSRTPEGIXSHE]7EHP]LS[IZIVXLI
,SZIVFSEVHWWIPJX]MRKXVEMRIVWERH]MRKGEVWEVIRSX

39

FLASH GORDON (1980)

THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976)

;LMPWXRSXEWGSQQIVGMEPP]WYGGIWWJYPEWSXLIVWSRXLMWPMWX;EPXIV8IZMW
cult novel 8LI1ER;LS*IPPXS)EVXLERHMXWWYFWIUYIRXPQEHETXEXMSR
WXEVVMRK(EZMH&S[MIMRLMWVWXSRWGVIIRVSPIXMGOWIZIV]FS\XLEX
KVIEXWGMIRGIGXMSRWLSYPH;LMPWXSWXIRWMFP]XIPPMRKXLIWXSV]SJ
Thomas Jerome Newton, a humanoid alien sent to Earth to take water
back to his home planet, the story is also concerned with many humanGIRXVMGMHIEWWYGLEWPSRIPMRIWWEPGSLSPMWQEVXMWXV]ERHXLI'SPH;EV

GORDONS
ALIVE?!?
Enough said, surely?

The story of Flash, an American football star transported to the far

YRKKEPE\]SJ1SRKSERHLMWFEXXPIXSJVIIMXWMRLEFMXERXWSRJVSQXLI
evil ruler Ming the Merciless may not be as subtle in its messaging or as
MRXIPPIGXYEPP]VSFYWXEWQER]SXLIVPQWSRXLMWPMWXFYXMXMWEWRIER
example of the alternative side of the genre as you are likely to see The side that attracts and enthrals young minds with fantastical scenery,
heroic deeds and ludicrous costumes. It is ridiculous in its presentation
but fantastic in its scope. And lets face it, who can resist watching the
FEVVIPWLETIH&VMER&PIWWIHHVIWWIHMRYREXXIVMRKKSPHEVQSYVERH
adorned with the wings of a hawk, bellow his immortal line?

Coupled with Bowies other-world appearance, cultivated through his

S[RGLEVEGXIVWSJ>MKK]7XEVHYWXERH%PEHHMR7ERIXLIPQZIVWMSR
VIXEMRWQER]SJ8IZMWSVMKMREPXLIQIWERHPMOIMXWWXEVLEWMRYIRGIH
popular culture for decades after its release.
THE MATRIX (1999)
The Matrix is a teenage boys dream. Theres action,
KLXMRKGYXXMRKIHKIWTIGMEPIJJIGXWQYVHIVSYW
VSFSXWIZMPEYXLSVMX]KYVIWERSZIVVMHMRKTWIYHS
conspiracy theory and, most wonderful of all, an
ineloquent social outcast who eventually becomes a
]MRK/YRK*Y.IWYW

FROM EARTH TO THE MOON (1865)

.YPIW:IVRIWXEPISJETSWX%QIVMGER'MZMP;EVKYRGPYFWEXXIQTXXS
build a sky-facing gun large enough to send its members to the Moon
GERFIGSRWMHIVIHSRISJXLIVWXI\EQTPIWSJ7GMIRGI*MGXMSRMR
PMXIVEXYVIERHLEHEHMVIGXMRYIRGISREQSRKWXSXLIVWXLIPQA
Trip to the MoonMXWIPJSRISJXLIIEVPMIWXI\EQTPIWSJ7GM*MSRPQ

8LI;EGLS[WOMWMFPMRKWKVSYRHFVIEOMRKQSVTLMRKERHWLEXXIVMRKWGM
WTIGXEGYPEVJIEXYVIWEIRKEKMRKP]HIEHTER/IERY6IIZIWERHGSQFEX
like youve never seen it before. The effects are astonishing. Its funny, its
HEVOMXWWQEVXERHMXWPPIH[MXLKYRWPSXWSJKYRW%PERHQEVOPQERH
quite possibly the ultimate expression of cyberpunk.

The novel is also notable for the remarkably accurate calculations Verne
was able to make regarding the requirements of the cannon, which were
based on very little comparative data at the time. Although the feasibility
SJ:IVRIWWGIREVMSLEWWMRGIFIIRHMWTVSZIHWGMIRXMGEPP]XLIMHIEW
ERHXLIQIWVEMWIHF]XLIGXMSREP'SPYQFMEHWZS]EKIXSXLIQSSR
GSRXMRYIXSMRYIRGITSTYPEVGYPXYVIXSXLMWHE]

METROPOLIS (1927)
-W*VMX^0ERKWITMGMetropolis the most
MRYIRXMEPPQIZIV#-XGIVXEMRP]WTE[RIHXLI
cinema of futurism, and watching it today its
uncanny to see how many shadows of cinema
yet to come it already contains. Things to Come,
Blade Runner, Alphaville and The Matrix are all there
in embryonic state. Metropolis LEWEPWSFIIREQENSVMRYIRGIMRTST
[MXL/VEJX[IVO5YIIRERH1EHSRRESZIVXP]VERWEGOMRKMXWMQEKIV]
throughout their careers.

Subscribers to CyberTalk can claim an exclusive free eBook of

*VSQ)EVXLXSXLI1SSRYLVLWZZZVRIWER[FRXNF\EHUWDONWRQG
out more.
THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (1979)
A late-night Radio 4 series that became an international phenomenon,
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy LEWWTE[RIHEXVMPSK]SJZIFSSOW
a TV series, a movie, two computer games and a series of towels.

*SVMXWXMQIXLIPQ[EWEQMPIWXSRIYWMRKMRRSZEXMZIQMRMEXYVIWERH
camera tricks to create its city of the future, taking two years to shoot
and bankrupting its producers (in modern money, the budget was close
XSQ &YXXLIVIEPOI]XSMXWPSRKIZMX]MWMXWXLIQEXMGGSRXIRXQSVI
a warning than a romance, it deals with issues of modernity and class
GSRMGXXLEXLEZIRIZIVKSRIE[E]

Douglas Adams story of Arthur Dent, the quintessential boring Brit

transported in his dressing gown, throughout the galaxy and the wholly
VIQEVOEFPIFSSOXLEXKYMHIWLMQMW[VMXXIR[MXLLMWXSRKYITPEGIH
VQP]MRGLIIOERHMWEPPXLIFIXXIVJSVMX%PXLSYKLXLIQENSVMX]SJXLI
saga is set on distant planets, and contains plenty of real-life science
and technology, the storys most fundamental themes, include such
VIEWWYVMRKP]&VMXMWLWYFNIGXWEWGVMGOIXERHVMGLXIEFMWGYMXW7YGLE
combination might sound bizarre, but its a formula which helped pave
the way for a raft of Science Fiction comedy that was to follow.

NEUROMANCER (1984)
Released in 1984, Neuromancer is widely considered the precursor of
XLI']FIVTYROKIRVIERHXLIVWXWGMIRGIGXMSRXSWMQYPXERISYWP][MR
XLI8VMTPI'VS[RE[EVHW2IFYPE,YKSERH4LMPMT/(MGOE[EVH 
;MPPMEQ+MFWSRWWIQMREPRSZIPFVSYKLXQER]MHIEWXLEXLEZIWIITIH
into our collective consciousness, including inventing now-used terms
WYGLEWG]FIVWTEGI

I, ROBOT (1950)
7LEVMRKTVIGMSYWPMXXPI[MXLXLI;MPP7QMXLQSZMISJ
the same name, Isaac Asimovs collection of short
WXSVMIWLIPTIHHIRISYVQSHIVRTIVGITXMSR
ERHXLIWGMIRGIGXMSRWXERHEVH SJVSFSXWF]
formulating the three (subsequently expanded to
four) laws of Robotics.

Neuromancer has all the conventions of the genre that you come
XSI\TIGXEPQRSMVWXSV]LEGOIVLIVSIWEFPIEOPERHWGETI[LIVI
corporations are the government, dilapidated neighbourhoods infested
with crime, and a network of data that connects everything. Like many
SJXLIXMXPIWSRXLMWPMWXERYQFIVSJXLIGSRGITXW+MFWSRTVIHMGXWLEZI
FIGSQIVIEPMX]LIIRZMWMSRWEGSQTYXIVM^IH[SVPHXLEXEGXYEPP]I\MWXWE
world that was far-fetched at the time of publishing, 1984.

Rather than telling the typical tale of a humanoid machine run amok
Asimov asks readers to imagine a world where robots protect us
from our own worst nature. Beginning with a simple story about the
relationship between a little girl and a limited-function robot, he moves
on to explore increasingly sophisticated thoughts, questions, and moral
complexities. In the process the book reveals Asimovs overarching
vision of a future that entangles inextricably the humans and the
machines.

;LMGLPIEHWZIV]RMGIP]MRXS



NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR (1949)

5YMXIWMQTP]SRISJXLIRIWXRSZIPWIZIV[VMXXIR+ISVKI3V[IPPW
2MRIXIIR)MKLX]*SYV begins with the iconic line It was a bright cold day
MR%TVMPERHXLIGPSGOW[IVIWXVMOMRKXLMVXIIRERHSRP]KIXWFIXXIV

STAR WARS (1980)

Despite being made on a relatively low budget
($11m), Star Wars has become one of the most
successful franchises in the history of cinema.
Much has been made of Lucass repeated direction
XSLMWGEWX*EWXIVERHQSVIMRXIRWI SVXLEX
the dialogue was easier to type than say. But Alec
+YMRRIWW4IXIV'YWLMRKERH.EQIW)EVP.SRIWKMZI
MXEPPXLIKVEZMXEWMXRIIHW[MXLXLI]SYRKIVQIQFIVWXXMRKXLIMV
VSPIWTIVJIGXP]1EVO,EQMPPW[MHII]IHIEVRIWXRIWW'EVVMI*MWLIVW
HMKRMX]ERHTIVLETWFIWXSJEPP,EVVMWSR*SVHPSSOMRKWSQSVXMIH
ERHIQFEVVEWWIHXSFIXLIVI*SVEYHMIRGIWMXVIWYPXIHMREPQYRPMOI
ER]FIJSVISVWMRGI-WMXXLIFIWXPQSJEPPXMQI#'IVXEMRP]RSX&YXMX
HIRMXIP]MWSRISJXLIQSWXIRHYVMRK

&MK&VSXLIVXLI8LSYKLX4SPMGI(SYFPIXLMRO2I[WTIEO6SSQ
telescreens, the Two-Minute Hate, the Ministry of Love, Airstrip One,
YRTIVWSREPPLEZIIRXIVIHSYVGSPPIGXMZIGSRWGMSYWRIWWWMRGIXLIFSSO
[EWTYFPMWLIHQSVIXLER]IEVWEKS1SVISZIV2MRIXIIR)MKLX]*SYV
LEWTSTYPEVMWIHXLIEHNIGXMZI3V[IPPMERXSHIWGVMFISJGMEPHIGITXMSR
secret surveillance, and manipulation of the past by a totalitarian or
authoritarian state.
;VMXXIRMREWEVIEGXMSRXS7XEPMRMWQMR7SZMIX6YWWMEXLIFSSOMW
EWTIVJIGXETMIGISJWEXMVIEW]SYEVIPMOIP]XSRH3V[IPPWZMI[SJSYV
future is sadly truer today than he could ever have believed.

UTOPIA (2013 - 2014)

Utopia[VMXXIRF](IRRMW/IPP]UYMGOP]FIGEQISRISJXLIQSWXXEPOIH
about and original dramas of recent times. The story centres around
EKVSYTSJMRXIVRIXJSVYQTSWXIVW[LSRHXLIQWIPZIWMRTSWWIWWMSR
SJXLIQERYWGVMTXWIUYIPSJEGYPXKVETLMGRSZIPGEPPIH8LI9XSTME
)\TIVMQIRXW[LMGLMWVYQSYVIHXSLEZITVIHMGXIHXLI[SVWXHMWEWXIVW
SJXLIPEWXGIRXYV]ERHXLIMVEXXIQTXWXSIWGETIXLIWLEH]2IX[SVO
who are hunting them.

PLANET OF THE APES (1968)

Despite spawning an extensive franchise featuring
JSYVWIUYIPWEWYTIVYSYW VIQEOIERHE
more recent series reboot, the original is still the
best.
8LIPQWIJJIGXWEXXLIXMQIKSSHIRSYKLXSGPEMQ
that years Oscar for outstanding make-up achievement, still hold up
today, whilst the story is a classic Hollywood mixture of adventure
and digestible social commentary. Though by no means subtle in its
TSPMXMGWSVWEXMVIRSSXLIVPQMWEWI\SXMGERH[MXX]MRMXWTVIEGLMRK
6SH7IVPMRKWWGVMTXVIQEVOWSRGPEWWVEGIWI\NYWXEFSYXIZIV]XLMRK
MRJEGXMXWXMPPTEGOWETYRGLXSHE]7MQMPEVP]'LEVPXSR,IWXSRWTSVXVE]EP
of the last intelligent human alive is pitched perfectly against the
QEHLSYWISJXLIETIVYRWSGMIX]LIRHWLMQWIPJMR%RHXLEXWFIJSVI
thatIRHMRK

Utopia looks like nothing else ever seen on British television with
its acid colours and carefully designed shots the perfect echo of the
literature that inspires it, without things ever getting too cartoony or
distracting. Its inclusion of real world events, hidden nods to the world
of comic books and dubstep soundtrack, give the show a freshness and
FVMPPMERGIXLEXMWGYVVIRXP]YRQEXGLIHIPWI[LIVI9RJSVXYREXIP]MRXLI
past month, UtopiaLEWFIIRE\IHEJXIVNYWXX[SWIVMIWTVIWYQEFP]XS
free up more room in the Channel Four schedules for shows such as
The Paedophile Hunter, My Daughter The Teenage Nudist, Scrotal Recall and
others with names seemingly plucked from the Daily Sports subs desk.

ROBOCOP (1987)
7IXMREJYXYVMWXMG(IXVSMXTPEKYIHF]RERGMEPVYMR
and economic decay, RoboCop - made in 1987 relates how a no-nonsense cyborg law enforcer
ends up policing the citys crime-ridden streets.
;VMXXIRF])H2IYQIMIVERHHMVIGXIHF]4EYP
:IVLSIZIRXLIPQTEMRXW(IXVSMXEWESRGIKVIEX
metropolis and manufacturing hub laid to waste by outsourcing and
mass unemployment. Today, deprived of the automobile industry that
supported it for so long, the real-world Detroit is in a very similar
situation and is even considering building a statue to its most famous
policeman.

WAR OF THE WORLDS (1898)

No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century
that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences
KVIEXIVXLERQERWERH]IXEWQSVXEPEWLMWS[R*SVXLSWISJEGIVXEMR
EKIERHSV[MXLEGIVXEMRQYWMGEPXEWXI XLIWISTIRMRK[SVHWGERSRP]
FILIEVHMRXLIYRQMWXEOIEFPIXSRIWSJ6MGLEVH&YVXSRSR.IJJ;E]RIW
musical adaptation of The War of the Worlds. The fact that this album,
FEWIHSREWGMIRGIGXMSRWXSV][VMXXIRSZIVIMKLX]]IEVWTVIZMSYWP]
[SYPHFIGSQISRIXLIEPPXMQIFIWXWIPPMRKEPFYQWMR9/LMWXSV]
HIQSRWXVEXIWXLIMRYIRGISJ,+;IPPWQSWXJEQSYW[SVO
;VMXXIRFIX[IIRERHThe War of the Worlds is one of
XLIIEVPMIWXWXSVMIWXLEXHIXEMPEGSRMGXFIX[IIRQEROMRHERHER
extra-terrestrial race. The novel has been variously interpreted as a
commentary on evolutionary theory, British Imperialism, and generally
:MGXSVMERWYTIVWXMXMSRWJIEVWERHTVINYHMGIWERHLEWRIZIVKSRISYXSJ
TVMRXWMRGIMXWMRMXMEPTYFPMGEXMSR-XWMRYIRGIEPWSGERRSXFIYRHIVWXEXIH
spawning (aside from the aforementioned hit album) half a dozen
JIEXYVIPQWVEHMSHVEQEWZEVMSYWGSQMGFSSOEHETXEXMSRWEXIPIZMWMSR
series, and sequels or parallel stories by other authors. It has even
MRYIRGIHXLI[SVOSJWGMIRXMWXWRSXEFP]6SFIVX,YXGLMRKW+SHHEVH
GVIEXSVSJXLI[SVPHWVWXPMUYMHJYIPPIHVSGOIX

STAR TREK (1966 - PRESENT)

It has often been said that Star Trek changed
the world, and whilst there have clearly been
QSVIMQTSVXERXJEGXSVWXLER;MPPMEQ7LEXRIVW
ridiculously tight sweater in the course of human
development, the importance of the show cannot
be overlooked.
;LIRLIGSRGIMZIHXLIWIVMIWGVIEXSV+IRI6SHHIRFIVV]EMQIHXS
use futuristic situations as analogies for contemporary problems on
Earth and looked to rectify them using humanism and optimism rather
XLERZMSPIRGIERHGSRMGX%WWYGLITMWSHIWJVIUYIRXP]EHHVIWWIH
moral and social issues, tackling topics such as slavery, warfare and
discrimination. Roddenberry also created a multi-ethnic crew for the
)RXIVTVMWIEVWXJSV97HVEQE ;LIR2MGLIPPI2MGLSPW[LSTPE]IH
0X9LYVEGSRWMHIVIHUYMXXMRKLIVVSPISRStar Trek during the second
season to pursue a role she was talked out of this decision by Reverend
1EVXMR0YXLIV/MRK.V[LSXSPHLIVXLEXEWLS[XLEXHITMGXIHEFPEGO
woman working alongside whites in a position of importance helped
further the goal of racial equality.

Disagree with us? Of course you do! Feel free to vent on

@CyberTalkUK or email cybertalk@softbox.co.uk

41

Supporting Your Transition to

Government Security Classifications
8LI9/+SZIVRQIRX4VSXIGXMZI1EVOMRK7GLIQI+417 [EWVITPEGIH
[MXLXLIRI[+SZIVRQIRX7IGYVMX]'PEWWMGEXMSRW+7' W]WXIQSRXLI
RH%TVMP8LIRI[W]WXIQVIUYMVIWXLVIIPIZIPWSJGPEWWMGEXMSRJSV
MRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW3JGMEP7IGVIXERH8ST7IGVIXERHMXMWLSTIHXLEX
XLIWMQTPMIHTSPMG][MPPQEOIMXIEWMIVERHQSVIGSWXIJJIGXMZIJSV,IV
1ENIWX]W+SZIVRQIRXQEXIVMEPXSFIQEVOIHLERHPIHERHTVSXIGXIHMRE
proportionate way.
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+SZIVRQIRX7IGYVMX]4SPMG]*VEQI[SVO[LMGLVIUYMVIWXLIETTPMGEXMSRSJWIGYVMX]
GPEWWMGEXMSRWXSKSZIVRQIRXMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW4VSXIGXMZIQEVOWEVIGSQTSWIHSJ
GPEWWMGEXMSRWERHHIWGVMTXSVWFYXQE]EPWSMRGPYHIGEZIEXWERHGSHI[SVHW8LIWIQEVOW
indicate security requirements for anyone handling the data, without which the risk of
sensitive data loss increases.

;LEXWXLIVMWOSJRSRGSQTPMERGI#





-QTEGXSJHEXEFVIEGLIWSR2EXMSREP7IGYVMX]
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4SXIRXMEPJSVRIWPIKEPEGXMSRSVPSWWSJJYRHMRK

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sharing and lead to unnecessary and expensive protective controls, but applying too low a
marking may result in inappropriate controls and potentially put sensitive assets at greater
risk of compromise.



Develop policy for dealing with information generated

by and shared in partnership working
+SZIVRQIRX(ITEVXQIRXWERH%KIRGMIW[MPPRIIH
to ensure that consistent controls are implemented
throughout their public sector delivery partners (i.e. Non
Departmental Public Bodies and Arms Length Bodies) and
wider supply chain.
Allow for historical data
)\MWXMRK+417QEVOMRKW[MPPWXMPPRIIHXSFIVIXEMRIH
and respected. As historic content becomes current
again and changes are made, its sensitivity will need to
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administration and reduce costs, empower people to
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information and help those entrusted with valuable assets
to pragmatically do business in a cost-effective way.
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For some, this is an exciting opportunity to simplify the
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and international partners. For others, its more of a
challenge.
As a trusted adviser, SBL is uniquely placed to ensure
compliance with current requirements and deliver a
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'PEWWMGEXMSRWWGLIQI;IEVIEPVIEH][SVOMRK[MXL
existing customers to help them transition from decades
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7IGYVMX]'PEWWMGEXMSRWMQTPIQIRXEXMSRTVSKVEQQIW
with pragmatic solutions, as well as expert advice and
assistance.

8SRHSYXQSVIEFSYXXLIRI[
+SZIVRQIRX7IGYVMX]'PEWWMGEXMSRW
system, and how SBL can help make
your transition as smooth as possible
TPIEWIGSRXEGXYWSR


IRUYMVMIW$WSJXFS\GSYO
www.softbox.co.uk

For some, this is an exciting

opportunity to simplify the
classification system
For others, its more of a challenge.

43

Noel K
Hannan

Was it crueller to announce the end

of a marriage in an exotic foreign
city rather than rainy Manchester?

44

Maybe it had been a mistake asking her to Jerusalem for the launch.
Bryard wanted to break the news gently but he did still love her, in his
S[R[E][LMGLSJGSYVWI[SYPHRIZIVFIIRSYKL;EWMXGVYIPPIVXS
announce the end of a marriage in an exotic foreign city rather than
rainy Manchester?

,IHMHRXXLMROMX[EWETTVSTVMEXIXSXIPPLIVSRXLIVWXRMKLX-XLEH
been a wonderful evening, Jerusalem was such a romantic city with its
fantastic, ancient architecture, its resonant place names, and the dusky
QSHIPKMVPWSPHMIVW[LSMVXIHSRWXVIIXGSVRIVW[MXLXLI92XVSSTW
Judy chattered over dinner about her day, and never once asked Bryard
about his. They ate a wonderful chicken dish and the most delicious
pitta bread Bryard had ever tasted, drank white wine and listened
to a barmitzvah procession make its way through the street below
the rooftop restaurant. As Judy wittered Bryard laughed or tutted
at appropriate places. Sometimes he would do the wrong thing at
the wrong moment and then he would have to admit that he wasnt
listening, leaning across the table to touch her hand and explain that
he was tired. But she would sulk and again he understood why he was
leaving her. It would be so easy to tell her at a moment like this, when
she was most unreasonable. But there was always tomorrow. He didnt
want whatever histrionics she would perform to interfere with his work.
Not before it was complete, at least.

She had accepted in her usual bored manner, and gone straight out to
buy a selection of clothes and travelling accessories, while he worked
overtime debugging at Hyperrealitys complex in the Pennines, preparing
XLIREPXSYGLIWERHQIIXMRKZEVMSYW-WVEIPMHMKRMXEVMIWEWXLI]XVSSTIH
through the consultations and presentations. They were invariably
impressed, to say the least. Moments of public adulation for computer
programmers were few and far between. Bryard was determined to
IRNS]XLIRI\XJI[[IIOW,EZMRK.YH]SYXSJLMWPMJI[EWTEVXSJXLEX
His employers, along with the Israeli cabinet and the Jerusalem city
PIEHIVWLEHGLSWIRERI\XVIQIP]LMKLTVSPIHEXIXSPEYRGLLMWGVIEXMSR
YTSRXLI[SVPH+SSH*VMHE]%(&V]EVHLEHFEPOIHEXXLMWXLI
streets of the Via Dolorosa would be choked with crowds, where would
they install the beamers to ensure maximum opacity? How could they
WIGYVIGEFPMRK[LIRWSQER]TMPKVMQWJIIX[SYPHXVEQTPIMX#;LEX
would become of him - and Hyperreality - if it failed? The directors
had taken him to dinner and reassured him that the tests carried out
in the eerie full-size mock up buried deep beneath the Pennines (it
always reminded him of the stories of doppleganger towns built by
Soviet Russia to train deep cover agents) had been more than adequate
ERHXLI][IVIGSRHIRXXLEXXLI+SSH*VMHE]PEYRGLMRXLILIEVXSJ
Old Jerusalem would be an enormous success. As they smiled at him
with dollar-signed eyes, he knew he was still carrying the weight of this
TVSNIGXSRLMWWLSYPHIVW-JER]XLMRKER]XLMRK[IRX[VSRK&V]EVH
[SYPHFIGVYGMIH

On Thursday they scheduled a full test of the system. Jerusalem was

thronged with pilgrims, and it required a sizeable detachment of the
IPMXI+SPERM&VMKEHIERHMXWIIQIHQSWXSJ.IVYWEPIQWTSPMGIQIRXS
erect barriers and man barricades to seal off the Via Dolorosa. The
policemen assumed they would be privileged with a glimpse of whatever
this secret thing was, but Bryard had arranged for only his immediate
team to witness the test. He had no intention of revealing the nature of
XLITVSNIGXXSER]SYXWMHIVWERHLEZIMXPIEOIHXS-WVEIPWWIRWEXMSREPMWX
press before Friday.
7YGL[EW.YH]WPIXLEVK]XLEXWLIHIGPMRIHERSJJIVXSNSMRLMQJSVXLI
test. She assumed he was putting on some sort of high-tech light show.
He had never bothered to correct her, and let her go on a sightseeing
trip to Bethlehem. He promised himself he would tell her tonight,
XSKIXMXSJJLMWGLIWXWSXLEXLIGSYPHIRNS]LMWQSQIRXSJXVMYQTL
tomorrow to the full.

But still his decision to invite Judy nagged at him. They took the
suborbital from Ringway on Monday, which would give them three days
MR.IVYWEPIQFIJSVI+SSH*VMHE]HE]WPPIH[MXLW]WXIQWMRWXEPPEXMSRJSV
Bryard and his team, shopping and sightseeing for Judy. He promised
her he would be back in the hotel no later than nine each evening so
they could have a late dinner and maybe go dancing, if he was not too
tired. She had pouted and demanded assurances that they would go
dancing every night no matter how tired he pretended to be, and he
remembered one of the reasons he was going to leave her. She was an
insensitive bitch, and she forgot all too easy how hard he had to work
to maintain the kind of lifestyle to which she had become accustomed.
(MHWLIXLMROWLI[SYPHFINIXXIHSJJXSXLI,SP]0ERHERHMRHYPKIH
F]EQER[LSGSYPHKYEVERXIILMW[SVOMRKHE]RMWLIH[LIRLMW[MJI
wanted to go dancing? Such a man, thought Bryard as he left her asleep
MRXLIEMVGSRHMXMSRIHLSXIPVSSQERH[IRXXSNSMRLMWXIEQMRXLI3PH
'MX]HMHRSXI\MWX;SQIRMRZIRXIHXLIQXSXSVXYVILSRIWXLEVH
working husbands.

The test went better than he had ever imagined. One of his team, a
talented young technician whom he knew to be deeply religious and
[LSLEHPSFFMIHVIPIRXPIWWP]XS[SVOSRXLITVSNIGX[EWWSSZIVGSQI
with fervour that he fainted. Even Bryard felt a lump at his throat in
seeing his creation in pixel-perfect motion on the Via Dolorosa, instead
of the fascia board mock up under the Pennine hill. Later, the young
man claimed he had been overcome by heatstroke after staying in the
sun for too long. Bryard noted this and commented on the incident at
length in his email to the directors that night, sending it from the public
terminal in the hotel before Judy returned from Bethlehem. He told
XLIQXSI\TIGXEGEWYEPX]VEXMSJSVXLIRI\XHE]SJEVSYRHSRIMRJX]
and to ensure that the medical services in Jerusalem were alerted. It
seemed as if even the creator had underestimated the emotional power
of his creation.
Judy returned much later than he expected, slightly drunk from too
much red wine on the trip back from Bethlehem, and found Bryard
sitting on the balcony in the warm evening air. Jerusalem, old and new,
stretched out below them. Tomorrow, he would show it something it
had not seen for over two thousand years. But right now, there was
something else that he had to do.

&YXXLIVI[EWWSPMXXPIJSVLMQXSHSLIVI,ILEHERIXIEQSJ
enthusiastic young men (all, he observed, happily unmarried) who
stripped down to shorts and t-shirts and installed the complex system
SJFIEQIVWGEQIVEWTVSNIGXSVWVIIGXSVWERHGEFPIWEPSRKXLI:ME
(SPSVSWEW[IEXMRKMRXLIWXMMRKLIEXERHW[IEVMRKKSSHREXYVIHP]
when things didnt go to plan. Bryard supervised the construction of a
microwave link, then walked through the cool alleys of the Arab quarter
to visit the other end of the link, a Cray supercomputer situated in the
/MRK(EZMH,SXIP8LMW[EWRXWXVMGXP]LMWNYVMWHMGXMSR,]TIVVIEPMX]LEH
poached a dedicated Cray expert from the parent company - but as
SZIVEPPTVSNIGXQEREKIVLIGSYPHFILIPHVIWTSRWMFPIMJER]XLMRK[IRX
wrong. He viewed the installation in the air conditioned room situated
in an empty suite next to the huge walk-in freezer, and chatted on
professional matters to Nbele, the Nigerian Cray man. There seemed to
be no problems. Nbele appreciated the chance to meet and chat with
Bryard. Among his peers, his reputation was preceding him.

-XWSZIV.YH]-[ERXEHMZSVGI
7LIPEYKLIHEXVWXEWWYQMRKLI[EWNSOMRKSVNYWXERRS]IHEXLIVJSV
coming back late and drunk. But when he launched into a bitter, long
pent-up tirade of reasons why he was leaving her, she sat dumbstruck
SRXLIGSVRIVSJXLIFIHERHEFWSVFIHXLIIRSVQMX]SJMX;MXLSYX
responding to him she tearfully collected up a few clothes and toiletries
and dashed from the apartment, slamming the door. He waited for
half an hour then phoned reception. They told him that they had given
LMW[MJIEREPXIVREXMZIVSSQ,I[IRXXSFIHWEXMWIHXLEXWLI[EW
safe and that he had done what had to be done. Now, only tomorrow
mattered.



&V]EVHWGLIWXPPIH[MXLTVMHI,ILEH[SVOIHSRXLMWTVSNIGXJSVXIR
years. Only his marriage to Judy had taken up a greater part of his life.

,IWPITXXJYPP]ERHVSWIIEVP]FVIEOJEWXIHMRLMWVSSQ,IWLSYPHLEZI
felt buoyant, this was to be the greatest moment of his career, perhaps
the greatest day in his life, but Judy had tainted it, even by her absence.
He regretted breaking the news to her last night, he felt sorry for her
even after the years of heartache she had caused him. Leaving the hotel,
he left a message at reception with a pass that would give her access to
LMWGSQQERHTSWXSRXLI:ME(SPSVSWEPEXIVXLEXHE]XSNSMRLMQJSVXLI
launch if she wished. He hoped she would choose to do so.

1IWQIVMWIHF]LMWS[RGVIEXMSRLIHMHRSXRSXMGIEXVWXXLIHSSVXS
the command centre opening, and when he did he was surprised to see
Judy, immaculately dressed in a pale green skirt and blouse, but her eyes
darkly rimmed with smeared mascara. She had been crying. She didnt
say a word. Instead, she reached forward and took an Israeli agents gun
from his holster as casually if she was taking a drink from his hand. She
stepped back, the gun in her hands. The agent turned and froze. His
colleague reached for his own weapon and paused when he saw Judy
already had hers in the aim.

Jerusalem was a pulsing, living organism. The hot, dry streets were
packed with bodies as Bryard made his way to the temporary command
centre in a militaristic tower positioned high above the Via Dolorosa.
A police patrol brought him in a dusty Toyota four-wheel drive, its
impatient driver leaning on his horn and urging people out of the way.
Bryard sat in the back, impassive, hands folded in his lap.

,EZI]SYGSQIXSOMPPQI#&V]EVHEWOIHLIV[IEOP]EPQSWX
whispering.

By contrast, the command centre was a sanctuary of calm. Bryards

young team, now smartly dressed, ran through cursory checklists
and balanced clipboards on knees as they operated keyboards and
specialised manipulation devices. Banks of screens glowed with soft
PMKLXERHXLILYQSJQEGLMRIV]PPIHXLIEMV8LMW[EW&V]EVHWMHIESJ
heaven. He had never felt this way in his home or when out with Judy.
Maybe that was part of the problem.

2SWLIWEMH=SYVQMWXVIWW

The dignitaries began arriving a little later. First, the two directors of
,]TIVVIEPMX]&IRRIXXERH,IRHIVWSR[IEV]JVSQXLIWYFSVFMXEPMKLX
but in a near frenzy of excitement. Then the Israeli prime minister,
Rukab, and several of his cabinet and Jerusalem city councillors,
accompanied by secret service agents openly sporting weapons. A
member of Bryards team depolarised the long window on the wall
unoccupied by screens and equipment, offering a breathtaking panoramic
ZMI[SJXLI:ME(SPSVSWE*EVFIPS[XLIQXLIWXVIIXWPPIH4MPKVMQW
holidaymakers, market traders, citizens of Jerusalem, and many television
crews, all vying for space in the narrow alleyways. Helicopters clattered
SZIVLIEHQSWXP]92ERH-WVEIPMTEXVSPWERHERIRXIVTVMWMRKXIPIZMWMSR
crew, who had to be warned off from hovering directly over the Via
Dolorosa by a Cobra gunship.

&IPS[[LIVIXLIGVYGM\MSRSJ.IWYWSJ2E^EVIXL/MRKSJXLI.I[W[EW
XEOMRKTPEGIMRXLIWXMPPLSXEMVEFSZIXLILMPPORS[REW+SPKSXLEXLI
hyper illusion began to falter. The animation of Jesus froze with his eyes
GEWXWO][EVHPSSOMRKJSVLIPTSVJSVKMZIRIWWJVSQ+SHSV&V]EVH

And she discharged the gun methodically into each of the computer
controllers arranged neatly around the room. The directors and the
cabinet members turned slowly, almost unwilling to tear themselves
away from the scene below, even in the face of such danger. Bryards
team were already under their seats, sheltering.

Rukabs bodyguards came to their senses and realised Judy had emptied
XLIKYR8LI]FYRHPIHLIVXSXLISSVERHHMWEVQIHLIV&V]EVHWXSSH
over her, tears streaming down his face.
8IR]IEVWLIWEMH=SYLEZIVSFFIHQISJXIR]IEVW
She looked him squarely in the face as the agents pulled her to her feet,
hands bound behind her back.
8LIR[IEVIIZIRWLIWEMHERHXLI]XSSOLIVE[E]

1MWXIV4VMQI1MRMWXIVWEMH&V]EVHPSSOMRKEXLMW[EXGL-XMWXMQI
;SYPH]SYGEVIXSHSXLILSRSYVW#

Later, Bryard sat alone in the command centre. The cabinet had gone,
discussing in grave tones how this would effect their chances of reelection. The directors of Hyperreality had vanished swiftly, muttering
concerns over share options. Even Bryards team had deserted him,
heading for the bars to drown their sorrows. In the darkness above
the city, electric ghosts of two thousand year old martyrs, whores and
WSPHMIVWMGOIVIHEGVSWWXLIWO]FVMRKMRKWEPZEXMSRXSRSSRI

6YOEFWXITTIHJSV[EVHERHTPEGIHLMWRKIVPMKLXP]SREPEVKIVIH
button.
0IXXLI[SVPHWIILIWEMH
%PSYHIVLYQQMRKPPIHXLIVSSQEWXLIQMGVS[EZIPMRO[MXLXLI
Cray V cycled up, and began transmitting millions of lines of code to
the beamers and opacitors in the streets below. The grid of hardware
spread out across the city like an invisible nervous system, and a twenty
metre Jesus Christ began his long, last walk up the dusty cobbles of the
Via Dolorosa.
Silence descended upon the city, tangible even behind the walls of the
command centre. Rukab spluttered as he had forgotten to breath. This
[EWRSQIVILSPSKVEQSVTEPIPMKLXTVSNIGXMSR%X[SXLSYWERH]IEV
old story was being acted out in front of them, as real as if they had
been transported back in time.

Ten years, he said. You have

robbed me of ten years.
She looked him squarely in the face
as the agents pulled her to her feet,
hands bound behind her back.

Pilgrims and policemen watched in amazement as Jesus of Nazareth

towered above them, the heavy cross across His back, the crown of
thorns drawing blood on His forehead. Roman centurions, equally as
mighty, spurred Him on, stopping to kick and whip him as He stumbled
once, twice, three times. Mary Magdalene stepped from the crowd and
offered Him water, the Roman soldiers dragging her away. Other giants
MRXLIGVS[HNIIVIHERHXLVI[WLEVTIHKIHWXSRIWFIEVHIHQIRMRPSRK
robes alongside smooth-chinned men in modern lightweight suits. The
illusion was beyond perfect. It was hyperreal. People began to faint.

46

LIVES

000850

g
n
i
y
f
e
D
Gods and
emons
Andrew
Cook
SBL

*-2(-2+6)%0,)63)7-2%:-689%0;360(

Open-world sandbox games are

now the norm, allowing narratives
to morph and evolve through the
actions and decisions taken by the
user, not the programmer.

47

3ZIVXLITEWXHE]W-LEZIEGLMIZIHQER]
XLMRKW-LEZIGSQQERHIH8LI.EGOHE[E
stolen brig on the Caribbean seas, defeated
innumerable cartoon supervillains inside of
a dilapidated insane asylum, led an elite band
SJWSPHMIVWXLI+LSWXW XSWEZIEH]WXSTMER
future-earth from the machinations of a postnuclear-war South American Federation, and
[SRXLI*-*%;SVPH'YTFSXLEWQEREKIVERH
player. All this whilst also holding down a full
XMQINSFERHPIEHMRKEVIPEXMZIP]RSVQEPMJRSX
somewhat insular, life.

The question of female leads (or lack of) is another pressing issue
facing games studios, aside from the aforementioned Ms. Croft, it is very
HMJGYPXXSGSQIYT[MXLERSXLIVGSQTIPPMRKJIQEPIPIEHMREZMHIS
game. Even Lara has taken 17 years and a series reboot to become
anything close to resembling a relatable woman. This shows that the
industry is changing, but slowly. There are countless reasons why video
games have failed to produce many convincing female characters, enough
XSPPXLITEKIWSJXLMWQEKE^MRIERYQFIVSJXMQIWSZIVFYXMXMWJEMVXS
say that for a long time the problem has been something of an endless
cycle. The male dominated landscape of video gaming dissuades many
[SQIRJVSQTMGOMRKYTENS]TEHPIEHMRKXSJI[IV[SQIRLEZMRKER
interest in taking roles in the production of video games, which leads
to a slanted view of how women in video games should behave, which
leads to more women becoming disenfranchised and so on and so on ad
MRRMXYQ

That this has also happened to millions of gamers across the world
matters little, such is the sophistication and depth of todays video
games each players experience is now inexorably different. Open-world
WERHFS\KEQIWEVIRS[XLIRSVQEPPS[MRKREVVEXMZIWXSQSVTLERH
evolve through the actions and decisions taken by the user, not the
programmer.

But now for the tricky part. Subsuming a character in the way that
VWXTIVWSRERHWMQYPEXMSRKEQIWJSVGI]SYXSHSMWEPPZIV][IPPMJ]SY
see events unfold through a characters eyes and make decisions on
their behalf.You can apply your own moralities and rationale to what is
going on and why you have acted in that way. But what happens if that
backstory is already provided? And worse still, what happens if you dont
like it?

;MXLXLII\GITXMSRSJELERHJYPSJ[SVOWMRGPYHMRKEWIVMIWSJ
[SRHIVJYPGLMPHVIRWFSSOWMRXLIW RSZIPWERHPQHSRSXEPPS[
their audience to choose their own adventure with anything like the
same level of meaning and perception as video games do. That is not
XSWE]XLEXZMHISKEQIWEVIRIGIWWEVMP]FIXXIVXLERPQSVPMXIVEXYVI
MRJEGXXLIVIEVIZIV]QER]I\EQTPIWMR[LMGLXLI]EVIWMKRMGERXP]
worse. It is more that they provide a greater sense of inclusion and self
for the audience, and that these feelings invariably eliminate the notion
SJEGXMSREPGLEVEGXIV)WWIRXMEPP]]SYGERI\TIVMIRGIIZIRXWEPSRKWMHI
Frodo, but you are Lara.

*SVQIXLIKEQI&MSWLSGO-RRMXITVSZMHIWXLMWZIV]GSRYRHVYQ8LI
GIRXVEPGLEVEGXIV&SSOIV(Y;MXXMWE[MHS[IH%QIVMGER'MZMP[EV
ZIXIVER[LSWIEGXMSRWEXXLI&EXXPISJ;SYRHIH/RIILEZIGEYWIHLMQ
intense emotional scarring and turned him to excessive gambling and
alcohol. Now working as a private investigator, Booker is continually
haunted by his past and struggles internally with questions of faith
and religion. All very interesting stuff but there is nothing within the
personality of this 19th century American soldier that I could relate to,
and as such, I struggled to form the same kind of emotional connection
[MXLXLIGLEVEGXIVXLEX-HMH[MXLSXLIVPIWWIWLIHSYXLIVSIW
Honestly, I even connected to a blue hedgehog in running shoes more
than I did with Booker.

8LIWLMRMRKI\EQTPISJNYWXLS[MQQIVWIH[MXLMREGSQTYXIVKEQI
players can become is the football management simulation series
Football Manager which puts gamers into the hotseat of any one of
SZIVJSSXFEPPGPYFW[SVPH[MHI8LIKEQIMWWSEHHMGXMZIXLEXMX
LEWFIIRGMXIHMRRSJI[IVXLERHMZSVGIGEWIWERHXLIVIEVIWGSVIW
of online communities, each telling stories of how they hold fake press
conferences in the shower, wear three-piece suits for important games
and have deliberately ignored real life footballers because of their ingame counterparts indiscretions.

0YHSREVVEXMZIHMWWSRERGIMWXLIXIVQ[MHIP]FERHIHEVSYRHXLI
games industry to describe the disconnect gamers feel when playing
such titles. It is both debated and derided in equal measure, yet there
is some substance to the argument. The term was originally coined in a
VIZMI[SJXLIVWX&MSWLSGOEKEQI[LIVIXLIGYXWGIRIWSTIRP]VMHMGYPI
the notion of a society built upon self-interest and men becoming gods
yet the gameplay appears to reward these exact behaviours creating a
NEVVMRKGSRMGXSJMRXIVIWX;LIRIZIRMRKEQIREVVEXMZIWJEMPXSXMIYT
XLIUYIWXMSRSJMHIRXMGEXMSRERHEWWSGMEXMSRMWFSYRHXSEVMWI
The area becomes even greyer when referring to third person games,
whereby the entirety of the character being controlled is visible on
screen (albeit usually from behind). Here the character becomes more
PMOIXLSWI[IEVIYWIHXSJVSQRSZIPWERHPQXLI]EVITEXIRXP]E
separate entity from the player, with their own voice and backstory, yet
they are still manipulated by the player. Then, during cutscenes and the
like, control is wrested away from you and handed back to the character
EPPS[MRKXLIQXSTSXIRXMEPP]EGXMRE[E]IRXMVIP]HMJJIVIRXXSLS[]SY
controlled them previously. So what exactly is your relationship with
XLIQ#'SQTERMSR#7YTTSVXXIEQ#+SH#

=IXXLIWIRWISJWIPJMWRIZIVQSVIETTEVIRXXLERMRXLIVWXTIVWSR
genre of games, such as the Call of Duty and Far Cry franchises, which,
more often than not, mirror the rare second-person literary narrative
by placing the gamer themselves in the centre of the action. In novels,
[LIRXLIVIEHIVWIIW-XLI]YRHIVWXERHMXXSVITVIWIRXXLIZSMGI
SRXLITEKIERHRSXXLIQWIPZIW-RVWXTIVWSRKEQIWLS[IZIV-
becomes whoever is controlling the character and the camera position
MWWTIGMGEPP]HIWMKRIHXSQMQMGXLEXZMI[TSMRX-RWSQISJXLIFIWX
I\EQTPIWSJVWXTIVWSRKEQIWKEQIVWHSRSXGSRXVSPXLITVSXEKSRMWX
rather they are the protagonist. As such they are addressed by the
supporting cast either directly by their own name which they supply
EWTEVXSJXLISVQSVIGSQQSRP]F]ERMGOREQIYWYEPP]6SSOMISV
/MH 8LMWKMZIWXLIYWIVEJEVKVIEXIVWIRWISJMRGPYWMSRMRXLIWXSV]
and subsequent empathy with their character and its allies than in any
SXLIVJSVQSJGXMSR%WIZIRXWYRJSPH]SYPMZIXLIQEWMJXLI][IVI
taking place in real life and begin to base decisions not on your own
SJMRITIVWSREFYXVEXLIVEWEVIWYPXSJ]SYVSRPMRIFEGOWXSV]
;LMPIMRVIEPPMJI]SY[SYPHTVSFEFP]FIWSQI[LEXVIPYGXERXXSGLSSWI
[LMGLSJ]SYVXVEZIPPMRKGSQTERMSRWWLSYPHFIWEGVMGIHXSETTIEWIXLI
ZSSHSSTVMIWX[LS[EWLSPHMRK]SYGETXMZIMRXLIZMVXYEPVIEPQSRI
slightly off comment twelve levels ago can mean that your childhood
W[IIXLIEVXMWOMGOIHSJJEGPMJJJEWXIVXLER]SYGERWE]4VIWW8VMERKPI
(Although, this being video games, they will no doubt reappear twenty
minutes later as leader of an army of the undead).

48

LIVES 0
The very nature of video games does, of course, make drawing
EGGYVEXIVITVIWIRXEXMSRWSJGLEVEGXIVWHMJGYPX8LI[LSPITSMRXSJ
a game is to allow the player to encounter events that they would
otherwise never be able to - Its highly doubtful that well be seeing
3JGI7YTTPMIW1EREKIVLMXXMRKSYVWLIPZIWMRXLIRIEVJYXYVIJSV
example. Instead the events depicted occur at the very extremes of
human experience, amid theatres of war, apocalypse and fantasy. As the
ZEWXQENSVMX]SJXLITSTYPEXMSRXLEROJYPP]LEZIRIZIVFIIRI\TSWIHXS
these types of environments, and with the parameters of the reality in
which these characters operate being so much wider than our own, it
is tough to imagine, and subsequently depict, how any of us would truly
react if faced with say, nuclear Armageddon or an invasion of mutated
insects. Many of the tabloid newspapers like to blame various acts of
violence on these types of emotive video games as they are an easy,
ERHPE^]WGETIKSEX-RXVYXLXLI]HMHMXFIGEYWIXLI]WE[MXMREKEQI
is a weak argument at best. There is a case to be made that games like
+VERH8LIJX%YXSERH'EPPSJ(YX]HIWIRWMXMWITPE]IVWXSZMSPIRGIXS
some extent, but in most cases there are various factors involved in
these types of crime and as such, to blame it solely on a computer
game which has sold millions of copies worldwide is tenuous.

As more and more people turn to

video games as a legitimate medium
of cultural influence so too must the
developers and writers accept their
roles as influencers
Like any form of entertainment media,Video games are a form of
escapism and should therefore be viewed accordingly. If I dont connect
with a character, so what? I can turn off the game and put on another
game where I will or, heaven forbid, go outside and speak to another
human being. Right now, this act is as simple as pushing a button and
putting down a control pad, the connection stops when the TV is off.
,S[IZIVXIGLRSPSK]WYGLEWXLI3GGYPYW6MJXLIEHWIXERH+SSKPI
+PEWWQIERXLEXXLIPMRIWFIX[IIRXLIVIEPERHZMVXYEP[SVPHWEVI
becoming more and more blurred. And as people becoming more
immersed in their games, the more their impact will grow.
Video games are not yet at the stage where they can truly claim to
MRYIRGITSTYPEVGYPXYVIXSXLIWEQIHIKVIIEWPQERHPMXIVEXYVI
has. But they will be soon. A few have already slipped through into the
QEMRWXVIEQ7YTIV1EVMS8IXVMW4EG1ERIXEPERH[LIVIXLIWI
lead, others will certainly follow. The huge media events and overnight
cues for the release of the latest Call of Duty or FIFA games mimic
XLIPMRIWSJTISTPISYXWMHIXLIEXVIWSRXLIVIPIEWISJ7XEV;EVWXLMVX]
years ago and the clamour for these superstar franchises will only
increase. And herein lies the problem. As more and more people turn
XSZMHISKEQIWEWEPIKMXMQEXIQIHMYQSJGYPXYVEPMRYIRGIWSXSS
must the developers and writers of these games accept their roles as
MRYIRGIVW-X[MPPRSPSRKIVHSXSWMQTP]WLSZIEPEVKIKYRMREKIRIVMG
tough guys hand and send players on their merry way, it will no longer
do to give the heroine DD breasts and assume that makes up for a
lack of personality or backstory. If these are the characters that we
and our future generations are to look up to and mimic, then they
need to be good. They need to be true. They need to be real.

GAME
OVER
49

THE THREE LAWS

OF CYBER AND INFORMATION SECURITY
(ERMIP+MHISR
Dresner, PhD,
MInstISP
Neira Jones,
MSc, FBCS1

Acknowledgements
1
Acknowledgement: the
authors would like to thank
Yolanda Woolf for her helpful
and critical review of an early
draft of this paper, and Mike
St John-Green for his useful
suggestions about the relative
value of system assets.

It is more than 70 years since Asimovs

three laws of robotics were codified,
becoming the basis for much classic
science fiction. They have crossed the
boundary from fiction to fact, and are still
relevant today.
In this paper, we present three laws of
cyber and information security.



Our three laws create a universal baseline from which change and innovation
GERLETTIRWEJIP]MRXLIWLEHS[SJ8LI8S]RFII'SRMGX8LI]ETTP]XSXLI
technological innovations which simultaneously bring a wealth of opportunities and
a new set of risks.

MRNYV]MRXLIGEWISJEWIGYVMX]FVIEGLSJQIHMGEPHIZMGISVEREMVTPERIGSRXVSP
W]WXIQ SVMQTPMIHLEVQJSVI\EQTPIRERGMEPPSWWXLVSYKLEGVIHMXGEVHHEXE
breach or identity theft through the fabrication of credentials, or IP theft which
would harm a corporation).

Security is a state. It is affected by the realisation of risks to that state.

Management of risk in the context of information security and cyber security is
attributed to the application of controls which may vary from anywhere between
SV%YWXVEPME ERHGVMXMGEPGSRXVSPW7%27 XS-73-)'
 ERHQER]QSVI2-78,-4%%4'-(77 8LIWXERHEVHW
that set out these controls do little to separate out clear risk management
TVSGIWWIWERHXLIJIIHFEGOXLI]VIUYMVIXSEHNYWXXLIWXEXISJWIGYVMX][MXLMR
acceptable boundaries that match risk appetite.

The system must preserve itself during the protection of, and delivery to human(s)
MX] MRXLVIIPIZIPWSJEFWXVEGXMSR




Our three universal, systemic laws enable risk managers to apply measured
GSRXVSPWXSVIKYPEXIW]WXIQW[MXLMRHIRIHEGGITXEFPIFSYRHEVMIWSJGSQTPMERGI
3YVXLVIIPE[WEVIWMQTPIIRSYKLXSOIITFYWMRIWWSFNIGXMZIWMRTIVWTIGXMZI
VEXLIVXLERWQSXLIVMRKXLIQ[MXLGSRXVSPW[LMGLQE]FIQMWXEOIRJSVSFNIGXMZIW
The three laws recognize the importance of tracing the maturity of the
environment in which a system is created, used, and ultimately decommissioned.
;I[MPPWLS[LS[XLIVWXPE[HIRIWXLIGETEFMPMXMIWJSVEWWIXTVSXIGXMSRXLI
WIGSRHPE[EWHIRMRKXLIGETEFMPMXMIWJSVSTIVEXMSRERHXLIXLMVHPE[HIRMRKXLI
capabilities for self-preservation.
8LIWIGSVVIWTSRHXSXLIXLVIIEXXVMFYXIWSJWIGYVMX]GSRHIRXMEPMX]MRXIKVMX]ERH
availability.

7XSVMRKERHTVSGIWWMRKMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXWEFSYXXLILYQEREWWIXEWTEVXSJ
the delivery of a service (for example, credit card information).
1SHIPPMRKMRJSVQEXMSREFSYXXLIEWWIXJSVLMWXSVMGEPVIGSVHSVHIGMWMSR
support (for example, medical records).
(MVIGXP]EJJIGXMRKXLIEWWIXJSVI\EQTPIEHNYWXMRKETEGIQEOIVXVIEXMRKXLI
water supply, getting the chocolate on confectionary to the correct
thickness).

So making the simplest transposition of these assumptions between a secure

systems model of managed risk by way of controls, and Asimovs three laws, we
GERWE]
 %W]WXIQQE]RSXMRNYVIEREWWIXSVXLVSYKLMREGXMSRSVRIKPMKIRGIEPPS[ER
asset to come to harm.
 %W]WXIQQYWXSFI]XLISVHIVWKMZIRXSMXF]MXWFYMPHIVWSVSTIVEXSVW
and by owners or custodians of the assets with which the system interacts,

I\GITX[LIVIWYGLSVHIVW[SYPHGSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWX0E[
3. A system must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not

GSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWXSV7IGSRH0E[W
A system comprises information assets and the processes, people and technologies
necessary to exploit those assets within an environment which is likely to affect
the context of the systems use or misuse. A system is itself an asset.
 %RHXLIVWXPE[HIQERHWXLITVMQEV]G]FIVRIXMGWII8EFPIFIPS[ 
capabilities for asset protection.
 8LIWIGSRHPE[I\TIGXWXLIW]WXIQXLEXQYWXFIWIGYVIHXSLEZIXLI 
capabilities for operation (secondary cybernetics).
 8LIXLMVHPE[I\TIGXWXLEXEW]WXIQWXIVXMEV]G]FIVRIXMGWXSLEZIXLI 
capabilities for self-preservation.

- 8,)43;)63*8,6))
%WMQSZWVSFSXWXSVMIWERXLSPSKM^IHTEVXMGYPEVP]MR-6SFSXERH8LI6IWXSJ
XLI6SFSXWWIXSYXXLVIIJYRHEQIRXEPKSZIVRMRKPE[WJSVVSFSXW[MXLVIWTIGX
XSXLIMVLYQERGVIEXSVWYWIVWERHFIRIGMEVMIW%PEXIVJSYVXLSV^IVSXLPE[
extrapolated the duty of robots to protect the human collective.)
;IQE]GSRWMHIVXLISVMKMREPXLVIIPE[WEWXLIFEWMWJSVVIKYPEXMRKEYXSQEXMSRERH
the input to the cybernetic response of the machinery. This is the context within
which the robot must control its actions to achieve an overall prime directive no
QEXXIV[LEXXEWOWQE]FII\TIGXIHSJMX8LIPE[WEVI
 %VSFSXQE]RSXMRNYVIELYQERFIMRKSVXLVSYKLMREGXMSREPPS[ELYQER
being to come to harm.
 %VSFSXQYWXSFI]XLISVHIVWKMZIRXSMXF]LYQERFIMRKWI\GITX[LIVI

WYGLSVHIVW[SYPHGSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWX0E[
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not

GSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWXSV7IGSRH0E[W

8LIWIGSVVIWTSRHXSXLIXLVIIEXXVMFYXIWSJWIGYVMX]GSRHIRXMEPMX]MRXIKVMX]ERH
availability.
Primary cybernetics are the commands and feedback which validate the systems
EGXMZMX][LMGLVIUYMVIMXXSSTIVEXIMRXLIFIWXMRXIVIWXWSJXLIEWWIXWYFNIGXWSV
the systems thrall.
7IGSRHEV]G]FIVRIXMGWEVIEWXVMGXIVPXIVJSVXLIGSQQERHWXSHIXIVQMRI
whether control remains with the system or other actors.

-- ()*-2-2+;36(7
8LI7XERHEVHW'SSVHMREXMSR+VSYTSJXLI8VYWXIH7SJX[EVI-RMXMEXMZILEW
VIGSKRM^IHXLEXG]FIVWIGYVMX]MW[MXLSYXEKIRIVEPP]EGGITXIHHIRMXMSRHMJJIVIRX
WXERHEVHWQEOIVWYWIHMJJIVIRXHIRMXMSRW-XMWSYVSFWIVZEXMSRXLEXG]FIVERH
information security are two different things. And this is why it is perhaps not
surprising that those who appreciate the history are unhappy with the term cyber
being appended to all things touching on information technology in general and the
Internet in particular. Medical records, credit card numbers, credentials, and such,
RIIHXSFITVSXIGXIH;LIVI[IEVIMRXIVIWXIHMRXLIFILEZMSYVSJXLIW]WXIQ
and the necessary monitoring and protective or corrective feedback then it is
cyber and it is permissible to borrow the term. So when the SCADA engineers
XEPOEFSYXG]FIVWIGYVMX]XLI]VIEPP]QIERMX

;IETTP]XLIXIVQXIVXMEV]G]FIVRIXMGWXSGSZIVXLIGSQQERHERHGSRXVSPSJXLI
system to make the necessary responses to continue to be.

%XXLIVYHMQIRXEV]PIZIP[IQE]EWWMKRXLIJSPPS[MRKHIRMXMSRW
a) A robot is a system, either physical or virtual, that is built by a human being
and operated by a human being, either directly or indirectly (that is by a

VSFSXMQQIHMEXIP]MRXVSHYGMRKWSQITIVZIVWIVIGYVWMSR 
b) A human being is an entity capable of building and operating a robot, either
directly or indirectly (again, another robot may be involved).

Primary cybernetics

The commands and feedback which validate the

systems activity which require it to operate in the
FIWXMRXIVIWXWSJXLIEWWIXWYFNIGXWSVXLIW]WXIQW
thrall. (Protect)

Secondary cybernetics

%PXIVJSVXLIGSQQERHWXSHIXIVQMRI[LIXLIV
control remains with the system or other actors.
(Operate)

Tertiary cybernetics

The command and control of the system to

make the necessary responses to continue to be.
(Self-preserve)

8EFPI']FIVRIXMGWPE]IVW
ERHREPP]XLEX
c)

The three laws are evident as regulators, shaping and guiding activity along a path
[MXLXLIFIPMIJXLEXXLIHIWMVIHKSEPXLIFYWMRIWWSFNIGXMZIW[MPPFIEGLMIZIH

A human being is an asset, which itself will own or be custodian of other

assets, such as information.

--- 8)78-2+8-1)7
As a practical example, we view the information technology components of the
W]WXIQ[IQE]ETTP]XLIXLVIIPE[WXSXLVIIHMZIVWIQERMJIWXEXMSRWERSRPMRI
shop, a customer database, and malicious software (malware). The three laws
govern how feedback from a dynamic approach to risk management is applied to
VIKYPEXIXLIGSRHIRXMEPMX]MRXIKVMX]ERHEZEMPEFMPMX]SJXLIMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW;I
will then discuss how the capabilities of respective systems interact with these
attributes.

An interesting level of risk modeling is apparent here. Are the controls of the
W]WXIQVIUYMVIHXSTVSXIGXXLIMRJSVQEXMSREWEREWWIXMRMXWIPJXLEXMWXLIQIXE
TIVWSRGSQTVMWMRKWE] QIHMGEPLMWXSV]RERGMEPHEXEERHGVIHIRXMEPWSVXS
TVSXIGXXLIIWLERHFPSSHWYFNIGXSJXLIMRJSVQEXMSR#
8EOMRKXLMWMRXSGSRWMHIVEXMSR[ILEZIIWXEFPMWLIHXLIYRMZIVWEPIXLMGXLEX
Assets must be protected according to their value and sensitivity with respect to
the human collective.

(IRMRKSYVW]WXIQJSVWGVYXMR]EWXLISRPMRIWLST[LMGLMRXIVEGXW[MXL
GYWXSQIVMRJSVQEXMSREWEREWWIX[IVIUYMVIXLIW]WXIQXSI\LMFMXXLIJSPPS[MRK
asset protection, operational, and self-preservation capabilities.

,EVQXSEWWIXWF]XLMWHIRMXMSRIUYEXIWXSTVSTSVXMSREPLEVQXSELYQER
being or collective of human beings (which may be, for example, a nation state, a
community, or a business), either actual harm (for example resulting in physical



As another example, let us consider the three laws at component level and
consider the customer database as a component of the online shop (amongst the
complexity of applications, host networks, the network, the APIs, the maintenance
console, the testing environment, the security suite, and so on) and the customer
MRJSVQEXMSR[MXLMRMXEWXLIEWWIX;IGERWE]XLEXWEJIX]VIPMIWSRXLIGYWXSQIV
database displaying the quality characteristics that would have it comply with the
three laws.




(EXEGPEWWMGEXMSRMWRSXMRYWISVMWMRWYJGMIRXP]GSVVIPEXIH[MXLXLIMQTEGX
of the risks to associate regulating controls.
%GGITXEFPIYWEKITSPMGMIWEVIRSXMRTPEGIERHFEPERGIH[MXLXIGLRMGEP
countermeasures.

'%4%&-0-8=4638)'8-2+%2%77)8%+%-27892%98,36-7)(
(-7'03796)
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the First Law is increased
[LIR
 %W]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[JSVQSRMXSVMRKSJEWWIXYWEKI
 %W]WXIQHSIWRSXEPIVXS[RIVWSVGYWXSHMERWSJYREYXLSVMWIHEWWIXYWEKI
 %W]WXIQHSIWRXTVIZIRXSVHSIWRSXORS[EFSYXYREYXLSVMWIHHEXE
leakage.
 0EGOSJEWWIXGPEWWMGEXMSRXLYWTVIZIRXMRKEGGITXEFPIYWIHIRMXMSRSV
adequate protection.
 %W]WXIQHSIWRXVIRHIVEWWIXWYRYWEFPIEJXIVMPPIKEPYREYXLSVMWIHEGGIWW

IRGV]TXMSRXSOIRMWEXMSREKKVIKEXMSRERSR]QMWEXMSRIXG

If malware becomes the system it is untenable, breaking all three laws.

-: 0%;7%2(78%898)7
'VSWF]W5YEPMX]1EREKIQIRX+VMHWLS[WXLIGSWXSJUYEPMX]FEWIHSRVIQSZMRK
defects. The sooner the defects are removed in the life cycle, the smaller the
cost of removal, and the likely emergence of increased quality maturity in the
SVKERMWEXMSRVIUYMVIHXSEGLMIZIXLMW7IGYVMX]MWETVMQEV]W]WXIQWSJX[EVIUYEPMX]
characteristic so information and cyber security vulnerabilities, and breaches are
manifestations of quality defects or the exploitation of these defects. If we set the
three laws as the minimum test criteria or standard for security, we must identify
the attributes that a system needs to display to demonstrate its capability maturity
to reduce the risk of security breaches and recover rapidly when they occur
with respect to those laws.

'%4%&-0-8=4638)'8-2+%2%77)8*631&)-2+92%:%-0%&0)83
%98,36-7)(%2(0)+%097%+)
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the First Law is increased
[LIR
 %W]WXIQMWYREFPIXSTVSXIGXEWWIXWEKEMRWXEHIRMEPSJWIVZMGI(37 EXXEGO
 %W]WXIQMWYREFPIXSTVSXIGXMXWIPJJVSQYREYXLSVMWIHIRGV]TXMSRSJMXW
information assets lending its user vulnerable to ransom for the decryption
key(s).

So, from the three laws we may extract actions required to protect assets (the
VWXPE[ STIVEXIMREQERRIVXLEXEWWYVIWXLIMRXIKVMX]SJXLIW]WXIQXLIWIGSRH
PE[ ERHEPPS[XLIW]WXIQXSVIKYPEXIMXWVIWMPMIRGIWIPJTVIWIVZEXMSRXLIXLMVH
law) at a very early stage, thus reducing cost.
From this we may say that, the level of security maturity is shown by a systems
capability to protect, operate, and self-preserve.

:- 34)6%8)'%4%&-0-8-)7837%8-7*=8,)7)'32(0%;
For the second law, a system must be capable of the following operational
GETEFMPMXMIWXEOIRMRXLIGSRXI\XSJXLISRPMRIWLST
 8EOMRKSVHIVWJVSQMXWFYMPHIVWERHSTIVEXSVW[LS[MPPMRGPYHIWSJX[EVI
developers, operators, maintenance staff and their physical or virtual agents).
 8EOMRKSVHIVWJVSQXLIS[RIVW SJXLIGYWXSQIVMRJSVQEXMSR[MXL[LMGLMX
interacts (that is, people, or the consumers).
 8EOMRKSVHIVWJVSQMXWS[RIVSVGYWXSHMERXLEXMWXLIVIXEMPIVERHMXWEKIRXW
physical or virtual).
 8EOMRKSVHIVWJVSQXLIGYWXSHMERSJXLIGYWXSQIVMRJSVQEXMSRXLEXMWXLI
retailer and its agents, physical or virtual).
 6IJYWMRKSVHIVWJVSQYREYXLSVMWIHSVYRVIGSKRMWIHTEVXMIW

It is accepted practice that risks are dampened to a point of manageability or

acceptability by implementing controls. However, the authors are unaware of
VIWIEVGLXLEXGSRVQWXLIGEYWEPPMROFIX[IIRIJJIGXMZIWIGYVMX]ERHMRGMHIRX
management (SIEM) and the implementation of controls.
;IWLEPPRS[TVSGIIHXSQSHIPXLIGETEFMPMXMIWXLEXEW]WXIQVIUYMVIWXSGSQTP]
with the three laws of cyber and information security.
: 4638)'8'%4%&-0-8-)7837%8-7*=8,)*-6780%;
*SVXLIVWXPE[EW]WXIQQYWXFIGETEFPISJEWWIXTVSXIGXMSRGETEFMPMXMIW[LMGL
MRGPYHI
 4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXEKEMRWXMPPIKEPYWEKISJMXWMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW
 4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXEKEMRWXYREYXLSVMWIHYWEKISJMXWMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW
 4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXEKEMRWXYREYXLSVMWIHGLERKISJMXWMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW
 4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXEKEMRWXYREYXLSVMWIHHMWGPSWYVISJMXWMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW
 4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXJVSQFIMRKYREZEMPEFPIXSEYXLSVMWIHERHPIKEPYWEKISJMXW
information assets

Let us consider the operational capabilities of the online shop according to the
governance expected by the second law.
'%4%&-0-8=
8%/-2+36()67*631-87&9-0()67%2(34)6%8367
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Second Law is
MRGVIEWIH[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRXEPPS[STIVEXSVWXSETTP]TEXGLIWSRXMQIHYIXS 
operational release constraints.
 8LIW]WXIQMWSTIVEXIHMRERIRZMVSRQIRX[LIVIGSRXVEGXYEPSVWSGMEP
constraints allow operators to bypass agreed controls either
technical or procedural.
 8LISTIVEXSVWHSRSXVIGIMZIRSXMGEXMSRSJGSRKYVEXMSRQEREKIQIRX
changes which impact the service they are expected to receive or deliver.

Let us consider the asset protection capabilities of the online shop according to
XLIKSZIVRERGII\TIGXIHF]XLIVWXPE[
'%4%&-0-8=
4638)'8-2+%2%77)8%+%-278-00)+%097%+)
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the First Law is increased
[LIR
 7SJX[EVIHIZIPSTIVW[VMXIGSHIXLEXMWMRXVMRWMGEPP]MRWIGYVIEWEVIWYPXSJ
containing security defects.
 7SJX[EVIXIWXMRKMWRSXGEVVMIHSYX[MXLSYXXLIRIGIWWEV]WIKVIKEXMSRSV
other precautions causing harm to an operational system.
 2I[VIPIEWIWSJWSJX[EVIEVIEPPS[IHXSMRXVSHYGIRI[ZYPRIVEFMPMXMIWXSXLI

GSRKYVEXMSR
 'SVVIGXMZIWSJX[EVITEXGLIWEVIRSXETTPMIHSRXMQIXLVSYKLRIKPMKIRGI
 %W]WXIQMWMQTPIQIRXIH[MXLSYXEHIUYEXIJVEYHTVSXIGXMSR

capabilities.
 %W]WXIQHSIWRXEYXLIRXMGEXIMRXIVREPSVI\XIVREPYWIVWSVYWIW[IEO
authentication, or authentication that can be bypassed, and so on).

'%4%&-0-8=
8%/-2+36()67*6318,)3;2)67 3*8,)'97831)6-2*361%8-32
;-8,;,-',-8-28)6%'87
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Second Law is
MRGVIEWIH[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[GSRWYQIVWXSHIPIXIXLIMVMRJSVQEXMSR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[GSRWYQIVWXSKMZIXLIMVGSRWIRXJSVWXSVEKISV
reuse of their information.
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[GSRWYQIVWXSSTXSYXSJHMWGPSWMRKGIVXEMR
personal information.
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[GSRWYQIVWXSWII[LEXMRJSVQEXMSRMWLIPHEFSYX
them.

'%4%&-0-8=
4638)'8-2+%2%77)8%+%-27892%98,36-7)(97%+)
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the First Law is increased
[LIR
 %W]WXIQEPPS[WYRWIGYVIVIQSXIEGGIWW
 %W]WXIQEPPS[WTVMZMPIKIEGGIWWGVIHIRXMEPWXSFIWLEVIH
 %W]WXIQMWYREFPIXSTVSXIGXEWWIXWEKEMRWXQEP[EVIWYGLEWZMVYWIW8VSNERW
and worms.
'%4%&-0-8=4638)'8-2+%2%77)8%+%-27892%98,36-7)(
',%2+)
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the First Law is increased
[LIR
 %W]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[JSVGSRVQEXMSRSJGLERKIF]EWWIXS[RIVW
 *MPIMRXIKVMX]QSRMXSVMRKSVWMQMPEVP]MRXIRHIHXIGLRSPSK] MWRSXHITPS]IHSV
not actively used.
 %YXLIRXMGEXMSRERHMHIRXMGEXMSRTVSGIHYVIWEVIRSXWYJGMIRXJSVGLERKIWXS
assets.



'%4%&-0-8=
8%/-2+36()67*631-873;2)636'9783(-%2
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Second Law is
MRGVIEWIH[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSGVIEXIWXVSRKTEWW[SVHWSVSXLIV

MHIRXMGEXMSREYXLIRXMGEXMSRQIGLERMWQW
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSGLERKIXLIEHQMRMWXVEXSVW 

TEWW[SVHSVSXLIVMHIRXMGEXMSREYXLIRXMGEXMSRQIGLERMWQW
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSGLERKIXLIHIJEYPXTEWW[SVHWSV

SXLIVMHIRXMGEXMSREYXLIRXMGEXMSRQIGLERMWQW
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[VIXEMPIVXSVSXEXITEWW[SVHWSVSXLIVWMQMPEVP]

MRXIRHIHMHIRXMGEXMSREYXLIRXMGEXMSRQIGLERMWQW
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSVIUYIWXIRGV]TXMSRSJMRJSVQEXMSR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSGLERKITEVEQIXIVW

'%4%&-0-8=
8%/-2+36()67*6318,)'9783(-%23*8,)'97831)6
INFORMATION
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Second Law is
MRGVIEWIH[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSHIPIXIGYWXSQIVMRJSVQEXMSR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSVIUYIWXGYWXSQIVGSRWIRXJSV
storage, reuse, deletion or other processing of their information.
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSKMZIGYWXSQIVWSTXSYXSJ 
disclosing certain personal information.
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEPPS[XLIVIXEMPIVXSKMZIGSRWYQIVWXLIMRJSVQEXMSR
held about them.

'%4%&-0-8=
,%:-2+8,)'%4%&-0-8=83*%-07)'96)0=
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Third Law is increased
[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQMWYREFPI[LIRMXJEMPWXSJEMPMRE[E]XLEX[MPPGEYWIRSLEVQSV
at least minimum harm to other devices, assets or systems or danger to
humans, without causing the system to be insecure.
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXMQTPIQIRXWIGYVIHIJEYPXWHIJEYPXMWXSHIR]EGGIWW 
 3RJEMPYVIXLIW]WXIQWHSIWRXYRHSGLERKIWERHVIWXSVIXSEWIGYVIWXEXI
 3RJEMPYVIXLIW]WXIQHSIWRXGLIGOVIXYVRZEPYIWJSVJEMPYVI
 'SRHMXMSREPGSHIPXIVWHSRSXEPPS[JSVEHIJEYPXGEWIXLEXHSIWXLIVMKLX
thing.
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRXTVIWIVZIGSRHIRXMEPMX]ERHMRXIKVMX][LIREZEMPEFMPMX]LEW
been lost.
 8LIW]WXIQEPPS[WEXXEGOIVWXSKEMREGGIWWVMKLXWXSTVMZMPIKIHSFNIGXWHYVMRK
a failure.
 8LIW]WXIQVIZIEPWWIRWMXMZIMRJSVQEXMSREFSYXXLIJEMPYVIXSTSXIRXMEP
attackers and supplies them with additional knowledge for creating an attack.

'%4%&-0-8=
6)*97-2+36()67*63192%98,36-7)(36926)'3+2-7)(4%68-)7
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Second Law is
MRGVIEWIH[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXVIGSKRMWIYREYXLSVMWIHYWIVW
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXEYXLIRXMGEXIYWIVW
 8LIW]WXIQEPPS[WYREYXLSVMWIHTVMZMPIKIIWGEPEXMSR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXVIGSKRMWIYRYWYEPFILEZMSYVXLEXGSYPHPIEHXS 
fraudulent activity.

'%4%&-0-8=
(-7%&0-2+-87)0*;,)2-87%77)84638)'8-323634)6%8-32%0
'%4%&-0-8-)7%6)'314631-7)(36;,)6)8,6)%870)%(83%,-+,
6-7/3*'314631-7)
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Third Law is increased
[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRXHMWEFPIMXWIPJMRXLIIZIRXSJW]WXIQMGJEMPYVI
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXTVIZIRXLEVQXSMXWEWWIXWJSVI\EQTPIEGYWXSQIV
database) in the event of unauthorised access.
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXTVSXIGXMXWIRGV]TXMSROI]W
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXVIEGXXSMRJSVQEXMSRXLEXWLS[WERIIHXSVEMWIMXWPIZIP
of assurance.

:-- 7)0*46)7)6:%8-32'%4%&-0-8-)7837%8-7*=8,)8,-6(0%;
So for the third law, a system must be capable of the following self-preservation
GETEFMPMXMIW
 4VSXIGXMRKMXWIPJEKEMRWXMPPIKEPYWEKISJMXWVIWSYVGIW
 4VSXIGXMRKMXWIPJEKEMRWXYREYXLSVMWIHQSHMGEXMSR
 4VSXIGXMRKMXWIPJJVSQFIMRKYREZEMPEFPIXSEYXLSVMWIHERHPIKEPYWEKI
 ,EZMRKXLIGETEFMPMX]XSJEMPWIGYVIP]
 (MWEFPMRKMXWIPJ[LIRMXWEWWIXTVSXIGXMSRSVSTIVEXMSREPGETEFMPMXMIWEVI
compromised or where threats lead to a high risk of compromise.

:--- 83)66-7,91%2
Considering the system as technology can be too narrow to effect control with
due regard for the human factors which themselves become part of the system.
;IQE]GSRWMHIVXLIWIJEGXSVWJVSQX[SEWTIGXWXLIGVIEXSVWSVFYMPHIVWSJ
the system who establish operational principles of the system which allow it
to do their will by proxy, and the users of the system who may each have their
S[R[IPXERWGLEYYRK[LMGLQE]FIMQQSZEFPISVMRY\8LIVIQE]FIEHHIH
complexity with likely divisions of responsibility and accountability between the
system owners, the information owners, and the users of the system. Due regard
is needed to protect the people or things that the information represents and the
information assets themselves (which may be labeled meta-people, or meta-things).
If we consequently build in the concern for the positivistic course and allow for
PIZIVWSJG]FIVRIXMGEHNYWXQIRX[II\XIRHXLIJSYRHEXMSRWIXSJPE[WXSFIGSQI
1. An information system may not store, process or transmit an information

EWWIXMRWYGLE[E]XLEX[MPPEPPS[LEVQXSGSQIXSXLEXEWWIXXLIWYFNIGXW
of the information asset, or the thrall of that system, or through inaction or
negligence, allow any of them to come to harm.
 %RMRJSVQEXMSRW]WXIQQYWXSRP]WXSVITVSGIWWSVXVERWQMXERMRJSVQEXMSR
asset as instructed by its builders or operators and by owners or custodians
of the information asset with which the information system interacts, except

[LIVIWYGLSVHIVW[SYPHGSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWX0E[
3. An information system must protect its own existence as long as such

TVSXIGXMSRHSIWRSXGSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWXSV7IGSRH0E[W

%KEMR[I[MPPHVE[ETEVEPPIP[MXLWGMIRGIGXMSRVIGEPPMRK8IVQMREXSV.YHKIQIRX
(E]-RXLIREPWGIRIXLI8IVQMREXSVVSFSXWEGVMGIWMXWIPJEWOMRKXLILIVSMRIXS
lower it into a cauldron of molten steel so that its technology cannot be used to
create the dystopian future of Skynet. Entertaining temporal paradox perhaps but
certainly a model application of the third law of cyber security.
Meanwhile, reality reminds us that organisations continue to lose portable devices
with sensitive information and without the protection afforded by encryption or
a facility to remotely delete the data. This leads at best to embarrassment, and at
worst, identity theft, intellectual property leakage, or other more serious damage.
So with this in mind, let us consider the self-preservation capabilities of the online
shop according to the governance expected by the third law.
'%4%&-0-8=
4638)'8-2+-87)0*%+%-278-00)+%097%+)3*-876)7396')7
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Third Law is increased
[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQMWRSXQSRMXSVIHERHLEWEPPS[IHGVMQMREPWXSLSWXMPPIKEPEGXMZMX]
on its servers.
 8LIW]WXIQEPPS[WGVMQMREPWXSVIHMVIGXEGXMZMX]XSMPPIKEPWMXIW
'%4%&-0-8=
4638)'8-2+-87)0*%+%-27892%98,36-7)(13(-*-'%8-32
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Third Law is increased
[LIR
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXTVIZIRXQERMRXLIQMHHPIEXXEGOW
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXTVIZIRXHIJEGIQIRX
 8LIW]WXIQHSIWRSXTVIZIRXLMNEGOMRK

-< 86%274%6)2'='328630%2(3:)67-+,81-2(8,)+%4
8SVIGSRGMPIXLIXLVIIPE[W[MXLEREPVIEH]WXERHEVHMWIHQSHIPSJKSZIVRERGI
and promote the environment in which the laws may be applied with consistency
XSEW]WXIQ[ILEZIGSRWMHIVIHXLIJSPPS[MRKGLEPPIRKI;LIRGSRWMHIVMRKXLI
complexity of understanding and managing requirements that can be met through
actors in the system and the transformations expected from the system, to the
WEXMWJEGXMSRSJMXWGYWXSQIVWERHXLIW]WXIQWS[RIV XLIVII\MWXWXLIVMWOWMG 
SJXLIVIKYPEXMRKGSRXVSPWFIGSQMRKXLISFNIGXMZIWSZIVVMHMRKXLISFNIGXMZIWSJ
XLIW]WXIQMXWIPJ8LMWFIGSQIWQERMJIWXMRXLIGSQTPI\MX]SJQEREKMRKWYJGMIRX
ZEVMIX]MRXLIQSHIPXSIRWYVIXLIVIGSRGMPMEXMSRSJGSRMGXMRKZMI[WSJVMWOXS
assets held by the owner and customers and actors in the system (including users).
The owner, the actors, and the customers of the system may be any part of a
supply chain.

'%4%&-0-8=
4638)'8-2+-87)0**631&)-2+92%:%-0%&0)83%98,36-7)(%2(
0)+%097%+)
The risk of system behaviour that will cause breaking of the Third Law is increased
[LIR
 %W]WXIQMWYREFPIXSTVSXIGXMXWIPJEKEMRWXEHIRMEPSJWIVZMGI(37 EXXEGO
 %W]WXIQMWYREFPIXSTVSXIGXMXWIPJJVSQYREYXLSVMWIHIRGV]TXMSRSJMXW
information assets lending its user vulnerable to ransom for the decryption
key(s).

Drawing on the model for the corporate governance of IT, Table 3 shows the
propose-direct-monitor life cycle of IT governance and translates it into three
EGXMSRWVIUYMVIHXSEWWYVIXLIGSRXMRYIHGSQTPMERGI[MXLSYVXLVIIPE[W
transparency (of goals), control (to manage business process) and oversight (to
FIRGLQEVOVIWYPXWEKEMRWXXLISVMKMREPSFNIGXMZIW 

A challenge to regulation of the system occurs when a destructive asset is

created as part of the whole system and the system therefore must therefore
protect itself against such an asset . The metaphorical scorpion must be stopped
from stinging itself. If a previously undervalued asset topples the infrastructure by
MXWPSWWEGXMSRGSVVYTXMSRMXMWXLIZEPYEXMSRXLEXWLSYPHFIHIIQIH[VSRKRSXXLI
valuation system. It may be a black swan event or a failure to engage with the level
of expertise necessary to model the real-world asset in the system. (Programmers
do this when they presuppose of what users want.)

8LMWMWEXSSPXSERGLSVXLIW]WXIQXSMXWSFNIGXMZIWERHTVIZIRXXLIGSRXVSPW
FIGSQMRKXLISFNIGXMZIWSJXLIW]WXIQ3YVEREP]WMWMR8EFPIWYKKIWXWXLEX
current practice may take protection and operation its stride but that there is an
inherent weakness in systemic application of the third law of self-preservation.
6IXYVRMRKXSXLIGSRWMHIVEXMSRSJWXERHEVHQSHIPW[IRHXLEXXLIEXXVMFYXISJ
survivability is not included therein.



People aspects of
WIGYVMX]LYQER
factor

+SZIVRMRK
processes

Technological
controls
Access is
controlled by
physical and
logical means.
Non-functional
requirements
must be
articulated
however obscure
their level of
abstraction.

First law
TVSXIGX
%XXVMFYXI
security

Access control
and the use of
systems are
managed within
a culture of
responsibilities.

Security policy is
VIEPMWIHMXMWRSX
NYWXEHSGYQIRXIH
aspiration. The
boundaries of
acceptable use
are at best well
HIRIHERHEX
worst easily
divined.

Second law
STIVEXI
%XXVMFYXI
quality of
service

Fair and
comfortable
working
conditions are
provided to meet
achievable goals.

The interfaces
between roles
EVIHIRIHERH
understood to
encourage the
transition of
tasks from one
responsibility to
another.

Between
protection and
self-preservation,
technology
supports the
safe working
environment

Protective (and
active) monitoring
and forensic
readiness. Enabled
by technology.
%PWSXLMRO
incident response
and business
continuity
planning.

A compromised
system has
failed. Think
availability. So
that an example
of a technological
control would
be protocols
that fend off
distributed
denial of service
(DDOS) attacks
on the system.
This brings us full
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self-preserve
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survivability

Allow for the

safe evacuation
or invacuation to
take place where
humanity is valued
over technology,

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The proliferation of control measures create a danger where they become
divorced from the risks that they were created to mitigate (like destroying
computer mice and keyboards out of fear of virus infection). In the three laws, we
have created a common goal for the implementation of standards, reducing the
latter to important checklists.
The application of standards to mitigate risk is implied in Stafford Beers work
on cybernetics and arguably from the negative reaction to standards in Toynbees
historical commentaries. Toynbee contends that standards become a risk in
themselves because a society that applies them will stagnate and lose innovation.
,S[IZIVXLMWGSRMGXW[MXL8S]RFIIWZMI[XLEXXSEGLMIZIETSWMXMZIJYXYVIE
society must keep the scenario its wants to achieve in view and work unerringly
towards that vision. Toynbee may not have appreciated that standards hold the
lessons learnt about what may prevent the realisation of that future as well as
providing key actions to shape it. The knowledge in standards may be applied
XSEZSMHQMWXEOIWXSFITSWMXMZIP]VMWOEZIVWIMRORS[REVIEWEPPS[MRKJSV
innovation to springboard from those known areas into areas of emerging risk.
Toynbee may be echoing the concerns of cybernetics that regards centralised
control as a (negative) risk to innovation. This could indeed see stagnation if
it were not for the observation that standards developed with a consensus
or central dictat tend to have localised implementation. This facilitates the
management of known risks yet allows for Ashbys requisite variety by removing
XLIG]FIVRIXMGE[SJGIRXVEPMWEXMSR
Our postulation that standards mitigate negative risk, and their implementation
as a realisation of the positive risk of success, builds on cybernetics. Beer
suggests that Ashbys variety is a measure of complexity and highlights the risk
of modeling as a variety attenuator. However, the model of actions to be taken,
or measurements to be achieved that are encapsulated in standards are strong
VYPIW[LMGLEVIWIXXSEZSMHXLIHIKVEHEXMSRSJXLIEGXMZMXMIWXLEXETVSNIGXSV
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8LIYXMPMX]SJXLIXLVIIPE[WPMIWMRMRXLIMVEFMPMX]XSQEMRXEMREGPIEVSFNIGXMZI
FEWIHZMI[MRXLIJEGISJQYPXMTPIERHGSRMGXMRKWXEOILSPHIVZMI[WQYPXMTPI
threats, and multiple controls whose complexity challenge the system according to
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is a temper for attitude and maintaining the balance between risk appetite and risk
attitude. They are a steer for doing the right thing over doing things right.
As we move from information to cyber security, we empathise with Asimovs
HIRMXMSRJSVE^IVSXLPE[;LIVIEW%WMQSZWPE[WIZSPZIHJVSQELYQERXS
humanity, so we evolve the application of our three laws from systems to the
Internet of things. It is the transformation from information to cyber that creates
personal responsibility in the gestalt. I protect my PC to prevent it becoming a
platform to attack your bank account, pacemaker, or power station. If John Donne
were writing today, he may have mused, Each mans hack diminishes me, for I am
part of the network. So ask not for whom it is a vulnerability.... So many standards
to choose from, but three laws to ring them all and bind them to a purpose.

8EFPI8LIKSZIVRERGIQEXVM\I\TIGXIHF]XLIXLVIIPE[W

<- 7911%6=
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THE CAPABILITIES

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human being or, through
inaction, allow a human
being to come to harm.

An information system may not

store, process or transmit an
information asset in such a way
that will allow harm to come to
XLEXEWWIXXLIWYFNIGXWSJXLI
information asset, or the thrall of
that system, or through inaction or
negligence, allow any of them to
come to harm.

4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXEKEMRWXMPPIKEPYWEKISJMXWMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW
4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXEKEMRWXYREYXLSVMWIHYWEKISJMXWMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW
4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXEKEMRWXYREYXLSVMWIHGLERKISJMXWMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW
4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXEKEMRWXYREYXLSVMWIHHMWGPSWYVISJMXWMRJSVQEXMSREWWIXW
4VSXIGXMRKEREWWIXJVSQFIMRKYREZEMPEFPIXSEYXLSVMWIHERHPIKEPYWEKISJ
its information assets

A robot must obey the

orders given to it by human
beings, except where such
SVHIVW[SYPHGSRMGX[MXL
the First Law.

An information system must only

store, process or transmit an
information asset as instructed
by its builders or operators and
by owners or custodians of the
information asset with which
the information system interacts,
except where such orders would
GSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWX0E[

8EOMRKSVHIVWJVSQMXWFYMPHIVWERHSTIVEXSVW[LS[MPPMRGPYHIWSJX[EVI 
developers, operators, maintenance staff and their physical or virtual agents).
8EOMRKSVHIVWJVSQXLIS[RIVW SJXLIGYWXSQIVMRJSVQEXMSR[MXL[LMGLMX
interacts (that is, people, or the consumers).
8EOMRKSVHIVWJVSQMXWS[RIVSVGYWXSHMERXLEXMWXLIVIXEMPIVERHMXWEKIRXW
physical or virtual).
8EOMRKSVHIVWJVSQXLIGYWXSHMERSJXLIGYWXSQIVMRJSVQEXMSRXLEXMWXLI
retailer and its agents, physical or virtual).
6IJYWMRKSVHIVWJVSQYREYXLSVMWIHSVYRVIGSKRMWIHTEVXMIW

A robot must protect its

own existence as long as
such protection does not
GSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWXSV
Second Laws.

An information system must

protect its own existence as
long as such protection does not
GSRMGX[MXLXLI*MVWXSV7IGSRH
Laws.

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4VSXIGXMRKMXWIPJEKEMRWXYREYXLSVMWIHQSHMGEXMSR
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compromised or where threats lead to a high risk of compromise.

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OF ROBOTICS

PROJECT

OPERATE

SELF PRESERVE

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OUR FRIENDS
ELECTRIC?

Prof. Noel Sharkey,

9RMZIVWMX]SJ7LIJIPH
(Interview
by Andrew Cook)

PART OF SCI FI: DAYS OF FEAR AND

WONDER AT THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE
To coincide with 3YV*VMIRHW)PIGXVMG#6SFSXWMR'MRIQEERH6SFSX(IWMKR
TodayTEVXSJXLI(E]WSJ*IEVERH;SRHIVWIEWSRXLI&VMXMWL*MPQ
Institutes spectacular celebration of all things Science Fiction, CyberTalk
was delighted to be granted an interview with one of the discussion
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)QIVMXYW4VSJIWWSVSJ6SFSXMGWERHSJ4YFPMG)RKEKIQIRXEXXLI7LIJIPH
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XLI-RXIVREXMSREP'SQQMXXIIJSV6SFSX%VQW'SRXVSP



CT: Youre one of the co-founders of ICRAC [International

Committee for Robot Arms Control], do you think the
development of that type of autonomous weaponry, and the ideas
behind them, can be traced back to Science Fiction?
'IVXEMRP]-XLMROXLEX[LIR]SYKSFEGOXS6SFF]LIWMRGVIHMFPI;LIR
]SYVWXQIIXLMQMRXLIQSZMI8LI*SVFMHHIR4PERIXLII\TPEMRWXLEX
he speaks 96 languages and has these amazing abilities that far exceed
ER]LYQERETEVXJVSQFIMRKEFPIXS[EPOTVSTIVP]7SJVSQXLIVISR
you get the idea of these super-intelligent robots that can do all manner
of fantastic things going through to the Terminator and the androids in
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WIIQXSFIWXYGOMRWGMIRGIGXMSRERHXEPOMRKEFSYXGXMSREPVSFSXW
Some representatives from DARPA and the Pentagon then came to
visit me in my robot lab to discuss getting funding from them, which of
GSYVWI-[SYPHRXXEOIFYXXLI]WIIQIHXSFIPMZMRKMREGXMSREP[SVPH
engendered by Science Fiction. Its a problem for roboticists generally
that theres this kind of pervasive cultural myth of robotics and science
GXMSRXLEXLEYRXWVSFSXMGWMRQER][E]W
At one point I had a fellowship from the Engineering Physical Science
6IWIEVGL'SYRGMPSJXLI9/[LMGLMWXLIQEMRJYRHMRKFSH]JSV
IRKMRIIVMRKJSVZI]IEVWXSXV]ERHVIHYGIXLII\TIGXEXMSRSJXLI
public to what robots could do. People were bringing out the latest
robots for an exhibition and the general public would more often than
RSXWE]3LMWXLEXEPPMXGERHS#;LIRXLI]HIQSRWXVEXIHXLIPEXIWX
technology for things like obstacle avoidance that, if you worked in
VSFSXMGW]SYGSYPHWII[EWEZIV]HMJGYPXERHMRXVMGEXIXLMRKXSHSFYX
the public would expect robots to be walking and talking and doing all
sorts of incredible things.

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VFLHQFHFWLRQDQGYLFHYHUVD"+RZKDVWKHJHQUHLQXHQFHGWKH
work youre doing today?
-XWLEHEQEWWMZIMRYIRGIMRFSXLHMVIGXMSRWERHRSXRIGIWWEVMP]EP[E]W
a good one. Certainly from the point of view of robotics itself I suppose
-GSYPHWE]MXLEWRXLEHIRSYKLMRYIRGIFYXXLI idea of robots has had
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-J]SYKSFEGOXSJSVMRWXERGIXLI[SVHVSFSX[EWVWXMRZIRXIH
F]E'^IGLTPE][VMKLXGEPPIH/EVIPapek for a play called 696
Rossums Universal Robots. These robots were more biochemical, what we
would call androids today, but they took over the world in the end and
killed all the humans except one which was spared to look after them.
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97EXXLIXMQIUYMGOP]GEQIYT[MXLXLIMHIESJYWMRKVSFSXWXSWLS[
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ERHXLMWFVSYKLXEPSXSJMRXIVIWXERHMRYIRGIFSXL[E]W
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?)PIGXVMGWAXLIVIIRKMRIIV6S];IRWPI]XLIVI[LSFYMPXRSXEVSFSX
but a machine to operate switches in a power station. He had an
arrangement of whistles and, depending on what pitch was blown down
the phone, a switch would be automatically triggered. Later he was
EWOIHXSTVIWIRXXLMWQEGLMRIXSXLITVIWWMX[EWNYWXEFMKWUYEVIFS\
with a little box on top of it, and then the next day he saw on the front
of the New York Times the headline was Robot Slave will take away
EPPLYQERLSYWI[SVO8LI]HTYFPMWLIHEGEVXSSRSJLMWQEGLMRIEW
well, the two boxes, but with arms, legs and eyes. The company was so
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the press image, he rebuilt the machine to copy the cartoon and instead
SJSTIVEXMRKEWQEPPWYFWXEXMSRMXVEMWIHEPMXXPI%QIVMGEREK8LEX[EW
XLIFMVXLSJVSFSXMGWVIEPP]MXGEQIWXVEMKLXSYXSJGXMSR7SMREWIRWI
]SYGSYPHWE]XLEXXLI2I[=SVO8MQIWGVIEXIHQIXEP,YQERSMHVSFSXW

Another problem since the beginning of robotics is that a lot of

roboticists hype up their work because they get more attention and
publicity that way and then they get more funding because their work is
in the news. I dont know whether I should call it a deception or not, but
they are playing to the cultural myth of robotics and AI engendered by
7GMIRGI*MGXMSRXLEXWXLIWMQTPIWX[E]XSTYXMXVIEPP]
CT: What do you make of Googles acquisition of, on the one hand,
Ray Kurzweil and on the other a sequence of robotics companies
including Boston Dynamics?
-[SRXWE]XSSQYGLSR/YV^[IMP-QRSXEWMRKYPEVMX]FIPMIZIV-
think hes looking for the fountain of youth. But it was a clever thing
JSV+SSKPIXSHSFIGEYWILIMWEVIEPP]WQEVXQER-QIERLIWGSQI
up with more patents than most other people and hes a brilliant
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FIVMKLX-NYWXHSRXWIIIZMHIRGIJSVXLIQQ]WIPJ%RHGIVXEMRP]RSX
within the timeline that he suggests.

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public has on robots?
Yes it has, and especially the idea of robots killing. If you look at Elektros
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XLVSYKLSYXXLIJSVXMIWERHJXMIWEPPXLILSVVSVQSZMIWLEHXLIWIFMK
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CT: So was Robby the Robot in The Forbidden Planet a reaction
to that viewpoint?
Very much so. Robby the Robot was a direct reaction to Isaac Asimovs
laws of robotics. In fact Asimov stated in an interview early on that there
was only one story in robotics and thats robots killing people and taking
over the world, and that he wanted to change that.

In terms of the acquisition of robotics companies I think its absolutely

EQE^MRKMXWERMRGVIHMFPIWXIT-ZIEGXYEPP]FIIRXSXLI+SSKPIGEQTYW
myself but I came away not knowing anymore about their intention
[MXLVSFSXWXLER-[IRX[MXL-LEZIXSWE]-ZIHSRIEJI[JIWXMZEPW[MXL
&&'NSYVREPMWXW[LS[IVIEPPWTIGYPEXMRKEFSYX[LEX+SSKPIQMKLXFI
doing but I think the general consensus is that theyre looking to the
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was a lot of controversy at the time, people still talk about them buying
Boston Dynamics - which make the best legged robots in the world,
they look incredible. There was a lot of discussion because theyve
[Boston Dynamics] always taken military funding and thats whats kept
XLIGSQTER]EPMZI+SSKPILEWWEMHXLEXXLI]HWIIXLIGSRXVEGXWSYXERH
then go no further with it, and all the indications are that that is the case
and they really are not going to go down the military route.

CT: As an attempt to counter the Frankenstein Complex

;IPPLI[EWRXUYMXIVMKLXXLIVI[EWERSXLIV[VMXIVGEPPIH)ERHS
Binder whod written a story called I, Robot, the title of which Asimov
took in the end, who was writing about robots in a much more positive
light before Asimov.
CT: Theres a fascinating line of connection between Asimov and
Norbert Wiener. Wiener was a teacher of [John W.] Campbell,
Campbell was editor of Astounding Science Fiction which published
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=IWLI?;MIRIVAMWEVIEPLIVSSJQMRIEGXYEPP]1EMRP]FIGEYWILI
refused to help the military. He did during the second world war but
afterwards refused to give them the back papers that they needed and
VIJYWIHLIPTMRER][E],IEPWSWTIRXXLIQENSVMX]SJXLIVIWXSJLMWPMJI
encouraging others to not develop technologies that would cause harm
in the hands of the military.

One of the other companies they bought was a Japanese company called
Shaft. DARPA (the research win of the Pentagon) have the DRC [DARPA
Rescue Challenge] for the most advanced humanoid-like robots in the
world, where they have a whole set of tasks to do that involve things
like manipulating spanners, pliers a saw etc. and driving a car among
other things. Shaft has built the only robot that has completed the
DARPA challenges. Its a bit slow and messy but it managed to do it.



+SSKPIFSYKLXXLEXGSQTER]ERHEXXLIXMQI
7LEJX[IVIFIMRKKMZIRQMPPMSRF](%64%XS
research and take part in the next stage of the
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from that so they are pulling away from the
military where they can and Id imagine they will
do that with Boston Dynamics as well.
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Fiction mentality in a good sense. Theyre an
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see what they can do. But it seems to me that
they might be looking at is how to extend their
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they have to throw at it I think they might have
EPSXSJWYGGIWW=SYGSYPHLEZIXLI+SSKPI
Autonomous car driving up to your house
and a robot get out, deliver the post to
you and get a signature.
CT: Do you think they may be going in the
direction of Honda and Asimo of household
robots?
They havent really discussed that but honestly
I dont know. Theyve bought the company Nest
that makes internet devices that all you access
to you home appliance from outside, so I think
theyre looking to get into your home alright. If
youve ever seen a humanoid robot such as the
Asimo robot, its about the size of a small child
but if it were to hit into you, itd hurt. So if you
look at the size of the robots being produced
F]XLIGSQTERMIW+SSKPILEZIFSYKLXMXHFIE
long time before youd imagine them coming into
your house.
Its one of the things thats often forgotten when
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robot doing chores around the house,, its a very
different house to the type the rest of us have.
You need a lot of big spaces to allow a robot
to walk around and you cant leave any books
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will probably head in that direction but theyre
probably thinking in a twenty to thirty year
window.
CT: In that case, are we then doomed to a
future in which robots are inherently unsafe?
No, I dont think thats the case. I think we have
to make them safe. Theres many ways to do
that, they have pretty good avoidance algorithms.
A lot of the action in terms of safety is in the
workplace, because at the moment the law is
that if you have a robot arm or similar youve
got to be a certain distance from it and it has
to be enclosed in a cage which is very sensible
because theyd rip your head off. But now people
are working very hard to make compliant robots
where you could push their arm and it would
give way for example.
The thing about Asimovs robots was that they
had positronic brains and essentially had a
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so it would behave and think like a human and
look at you like a human and it could have intent.
Thats what Asimov was worried about, the



intent must never be to kill humans, but at the

moment robots have no intent and I can see no
evidence of this emerging at all. I cant say never,
I dont know what will happen in a hundred
years time, but for now I cant see that they
would have goals of their own or any intention
so safety is more about the application of robots
from my perspective. Its more about the way
they are used rather than the robots themselves.
&72IFRXUVHIURPVFLHQFHFWLRQRQH
of the biggest examples of Robotics and
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associated with it is the HAL 9000 from
2001: A Space Odyssey
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CT: Can you see a time where humanity
could create something along the lines of
HAL or Maria [from Metropolis], a machine
that is almost completely sentient?
;IPP-XLMROWIRXMIRGIMWPMOITVIKRERG]]SYVI
either sentient or youre not, you cant be a
PMXXPIFMXWIRXMIRX8LIVIQMKLXFIHMJJIVIRXPIZIPW
of sentience, but I dont see it myself. It might
happen but I cant see where its going to come
from. I was a psychologist before so Ive had an
MRXIVIWXMRXLILYQERQMRHJSV]IEVWERH
studied all aspects. To be honest we dont really
know what sentience is. How can we create it
when we dont know? Someone might magically
stumble upon it in a machine but it is possible
that its a fundamental property of biological
material, in which case we might never be able
XSGVIEXIMX;IHSRXORS[YRXMP[IORS[MJ
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real science what you have to do normally is if
I put forward an idea Ive got to demonstrate it
and show that it is possible. Newton was very
good at this, he said - You can argue with me
that there are cups and saucers rotating round
the sun and I cant beat that argument because
I dont know. The point about science is not for
me to demonstrate that it isnt the case, its up
to you to demonstrate that it is the case. He was
EVKYMRKEFSYXVIPMKMSRFYXMX[SVOWNYWXEW[IPP
with A.I.
A.I. has wrong-footed science, a lot of people
say to me Can you prove that this will never
LETTIR#ERHSJGSYVWI-GERX8LEXWMQTSWWMFPI
I dont know whether these things will happen
or not, but I cant see any evidence for it. As
much as Id love it to, as you can probably tell Im
EVIEPWGMIRGIGXMSRJER
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works that really stand out to you as having
KDGDUHDOLQXHQFHRQ\RX"
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Dan Dare on radio when I was three years old.
I was obsessed with space men and aliens as my
TEVIRXWSJXIRVIQMRHIHQI-ORS[-[EWXLVII
because the series ended when I was four and
the tapes have all been lost so well never hear it



EKEMR7MRGIXLIREPSXSJQSZMIWLEZI?MRYIRGIH
me]. I love all the robot movies, I absolutely
PSZI8LI8IVQMREXSVXLIVWXSRIERHMXLEW
nothing to do with my work against autonomous
weapons.
-EQTEVXSJEPEVKIGSEPMXMSRSJ2+3W
GEQTEMKRMRKEKEMRWOMPPIVVSFSX;LEX[IVI
campaigning against is not against autonomous
robots being used by the military at all, or any
OMRHSJVSFSX;LEX[IVIEKEMRWXMWVSFSXW
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[IETSREWHIRIHF]XLI97(ITEVXQIRXSJ
Defence is one that once its been activated
[MPPWIPIGXERHIRKEKIMI/MPPMXWXEVKIXW
without further human intervention. So its
an unsupervised killing machine essentially,
and thats what Im against. My worry is not
something like The Terminator which is highly
intelligent. These weapons carry out programs
[LMGLWSQISRILEW[VMXXIRXLI]VIRSX
adaptive, theyre not smart and obviously theyll
get better as time goes on but it is unlikely
theyll have common sense in the foreseeable
future.
I think the problem is that a lot of people
LEZI\IHMRXLIMVLIEHWTEVXMGYPEVP]EPSXSJ
American lawyers, that technology will advance
ZIV]VETMHP])ZIRMJ]SYVIRSXEWGMIRGIGXMSR
fan you cant avoid things like Short Circuit or
;EPP)-XLMROXLEXTISTPINYWXMQEKMRIXLEXMJ
we keep developing them, by the time theyre
built they will be able to discriminate between
civilians and soldiers easily, and be able to do all
XLIWIXLMRKWXLEXEVII\XVIQIP]HMJGYPX7SMXW
OMRHSJXLIQ]XLSPSK]SJWGMIRGIGXMSRXLEXW
creating that, and the problem for me is that if
]SYKSHS[RXLIWGMIRGIGXMSRXLMROMRKVSYXI
you end up investing billions of dollars in a
WTIGMGX]TISJ[IETSRERHMJMXXYVRWSYXXLEX
at the end of some period when youre involved
in a heavy war and thats where youve spent
]SYVQSRI]]SYZIKSXXSXLIRYWIMXERH
with mass proliferation, regardless of whether
it discriminates or not, whether it can make
proportionate use of force or not, its going to
have to be used and thats our worry.
Prof. Sharkey was promoting Our Friends
Electric? Robots in Cinema and Robot Design
Today, which takes place at BFI Southbank on
11 November.
Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder runs at BFI
Southbank and venues across the UK until
the end of 2014.
ZZZERUJXNVFL

EVENTS

2014

lmanac

AofEvents

SEPT-DEC
9/+VIIGI97%%YWXVEPME.ETER&VE^MP'LMRE-XEP]4SPERH
'EREHE-VIPERH%VKIRXMRE4LMPMTTMRIW6SQERME%YWXVME'SPSQFME
0Y\IQFSYVK8EM[ER+IVQER]2MKIVME

OCTOBER
1

7-9

14 - 17

18 - 19

27

7IGYVI;SVPH']FIV7IGYVMX]
Conference Indiana
-RHMERETSPMW-297%

)YVSTI4'-77'
Community Meeting
(PCI Security
Standards Council)
&IVPMR+IVQER]

Black Hat Europe

Amsterdam, Netherlands

,,''SRJIVIRGI
Sao Paulo-SP, Brazil

CyberSec Connection
'SPYQFME1(97%

20

3rd Ibero-American
Industrial Cybersecurity
Congress
Bogota, Colombia

Cyber Security Summit

Bahrain

27 - 29

Cornerstones of Trust
0SRHSR9/

1-3

8-9

']FIV7IGYVMX]MR6SQERME
Central European Conference
Sibiu, Romania

']FIV7IGYVMX])<43
)\'I00SRHSR9/

5
;SVOWLSTSR7YTTSVXMRK
Diversity in Systems Research
&VSSQIPH'39RMXIH7XEXIW

6
XL97)2-<7]QTSWMYQSR
Operating Systems Design and
Implementation
&VSSQIPH'39RMXIH7XEXIW

Breakpoint
Melbourne, Australia
Nigeria Emergency
Response and
Counter-Terrorism
%FYNE*'82MKIVME

10 - 11
7-6%GSR
1MRRIETSPMW1297%

11 - 12
6Y\GSR
Melbourne, Australia

16
HouSecCon
,SYWXSR8I\EW9RMXIH7XEXIW
7IGYVI;SVPH']FIV7IGYVMX]
Conference Colorado
(IRZIV'397%

16 - 17
+VV'32-RJSVQEXMSR
Security Summit & Hacker
Conference
(I:SW4PEGI+VERH6ETMHW
1-9RMXIH7XEXIW

17
Hacker Halted
%XPERXE+ISVKME97%

NOVEMBER
5

12 - 14

21 - 23

XL%RRYEP3TIR7SYVGI(MKMXEP
Forensics Conference (OSDFCon)
,IVRHSR:%97%

%:%6
Sydney, Australia

+PSFEP
Civil Engineering
& Applied Science
Conference (CEAASC)
Taipei, Taiwan

7IGYVI;SVPH']FIV7IGYVMX]
Conference California
Santa Clara Convention
'IRXIV&E]%VIE'%97%

5-7
Cybercrime Prevention Summit
0E5YMRXE'%9RMXIH7XEXIW

9 - 10
/M[MGSR
0E5YMRXE'%9RMXIH7XEXIW

13
7SYXL&]7SYXL;IWX
Cork, Ireland

18
Deep Sec
Vienna, Austria

DefCamp
Bucharest, Romania

18 - 19
ESCAR Automotive CyberSecurity Conference
,EQFYVK+IVQER]

XL0EVKI-RWXEPPEXMSR7]WXIQ
Administration Conference
7IEXXPI;%9RMXIH7XEXIW

%YWXVEPME4'-77'
Community Meeting
PCI Security Standards
Council)
Sydney, Australia

12 - 13

19 - 21

7IGYVI;SVPH']FIV7IGYVMX]
Conference Seattle
7IEXXPI;%97%

ISACA North America

ISRM Conference
0EW:IKEW2:97%

4EG7IG'SRJIVIRGI
Tokyo, Japan

NoSuchCon
Paris, France

9 - 14

28 - 29

20 - 22
SecTor (Security Training and
Conference)
Toronto, ON, Canada

20 - 23

29 - 30

SAINTCON
;IFIV7XEXI9RMZIVWMX]98
9RMXIH7XEXIW

CyberMaryland
Conference
Baltimore Convention Center,
1(9RMXIH7XEXIW

21 - 24

(EPPEW7)'96);360(
(EPPEW8<9RMXIH7XEXIW

Hack.Lu
Luxembourg

29 - 31

0%7'32
%YWXMR8<

EkoParty
Buenos Aires, Argentina

22 - 23

30 - 31

ISSA International Conference

Disney Contemporary
Resort, Orlando, Florida,
9RMXIH7XEXIW

-RJSVQEXMSR
Security Summit
'PIZIPERH3LMS97%

DECEMBER
Healthcare Cyber Security
7YQQMX
San Francisco, CA

8SO]S-RXIVREXMSREP
Conference on Software
Engineering and Digital
8IGLRSPSK]7)(8 
Tokyo, Japan

16 -17

27 - 30

7767IGYVMX]
Standardisation Research
6S]EP,SPPS[E]9RMZIVWMX]SJ
0SRHSR9RMXIH/MRKHSQ

Chaos Communication
Congress
,EQFYVK+IVQER]

3 -10

17 - 19
8SO]S-RXIVREXMSREP
Conference on Engineering
and Applied Sciences
8-')%7
Tokyo, Japan



Focus Security
Conference
The Venetian and The Palazzo,
2:9RMXIH7XEXIW

2/

1/

Online

In Print
CyberTalk produce and distribute over 15,000
printed copies each year across the UK, Europe and
America

Over 90,000 CyberTalk readers

from more than 25 differnt
countries access the magazine
digitally each year at
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4/

3/

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join the debate

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5/

Partnerships
CyberTalk is proud to be supported by The National Museum
of Computing, and to have been recognised by the UK Home
Office Cyber Streetwise campaign and the US Dept.of
Homeland Security

6/

Events
To date, CyberTalk has been present at over 125 events
in 2014 and this number looks set to grow significantly
in 2015.

THE

UNIVERSE

7/

Cyber
Narratives
CyberTalk supports and promotes the
best cyber narrative writing from
around the world. As part of this we
are delighted to have established the
CyberTalk Flash Fiction Prize for
Science Fiction.

You know, its a pretty beautiful dream, the idea of a

world where people dont use vulnerabilities for evil
because theres a social norm against it.

www.softbox.Co.uk/knightsoftherainbowtable


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cybertalkmagazine

$']FIV8EPO9/