“The force is strong with this one.” That could be said of defenders of Good or their opposites…Evil-doers. Josh and Bill found a benevolent hacker in a bank who used the Force for good — to give the senior team what they wanted and do more with less, for less costs.
But news reports bring us reminders that the Force can also be used for evil. HSBC Admits Huge Swiss Bank Data Theft. Critics of our core thesis — that benevolent hacking can and must will be used as a force for good — will quickly point to this news item to call us crazy. About 24,000 clients of HSBC’s private banking operation in Switzerland had personal details stolen by a former employee, the company has admitted.
Here’s the likely reaction: “Josh and Bill are crazy! How dare they unleash a Force that could do such horrible damage! Keel haul them!” Well, just as storyteller George Lucas understood…the Force is always there, all-powerful and neutral. It’s up to us to determine whether it is used as a Force for good or for evil. It works both ways.
Yes, we are for unleashing the Force for good — to unleash forbidden innovation. AND we are also for putting in controls to ensure that prohibit and limit the use of the Force for evil. A paradox? No different than Original Sin….choice. The power is always there…It’s up to us to figure out how to use it, and how not to use it.