10 classic quotes from Star Wars that apply to IT life

One of the most important days on the Geek calendar is fast approaching: May the 4th! This is when Star Wars fans across the galaxy unite to celebrate one of the most iconic franchises of all time.

In previous years, we marked this sacred occasion by sharing 10 odd and fun facts about Star Wars (such as that Yoda was originally supposed to be played by a monkey!), publishing the complete Star Wars timeline, and looking at upcoming Star Wars TV shows and movies.

This year, we thought it would be fun and Force-friendly to dig deep into the big — and we mean BIG — collection of classic phrases from the Star Wars franchise, and choose 10 illuminating utterances that, one way or another, apply to life in IT and cybersecurity.

Ready? Then let’s get going faster than the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs!

1. “Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter.” — Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

IT pros are typically under-appreciated and ignored. That is, until something goes wrong, or someone needs to do something and can’t figure out how. Then all of a sudden, IT pros go from being ignored to indispensable.

But guess what? The interesting thing is that most IT pros are perfectly OK with this. They prefer to work in the background and behind-the-scenes. Still, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of you that you are, indeed, luminous beings (even if most people don’t quite know what you do and are a little afraid to ask!).

2. “Never tell me the odds.” — Han Solo, The Empire Strikes Back

IT pros are born problem solvers — and the bigger and more critical the problem, the more intense is their focus and concentration. It’s never a good idea to tell IT pros the odds, because rather than draining them, it only motivates them further. It is not uncommon for many IT pros to become so completely consumed by a problem that they will barely sleep or eat until they find a solution.

3. “I got a bad feeling about this.” — Lando Calrissian, The Rise of Skywalker

Just like Lando, IT pros usually have very accurate intuition, because their brains are always several steps into the future — scanning different possibilities, scenarios, and contingencies. They are like chess Grand Masters who are not merely focused on moving the next piece, but also on the next phase of the game (most enjoyably the one where they have defeated their opponent long before they realize it).

Basically, it comes down to this: IT pros who “have a bad feeling” about something should usually be heeded, because they are not in the habit of behaving in an irrational or illogical way. Instead, they are in the habit of doing smart things the right way.

4. “In my book, experience outranks everything.” — Captain Rex, The Clone Wars

In the IT world, ongoing training — formal, informal, and self-directed — is vital. However, there is no and never will be a substitute for hands-on experience. If you’re a seasoned IT pro, then you know the truth of this. And if you are a new IT pro, then let this motivate and inspire you to get as much experience as possible. Sure, things won’t always go well (read: you will face some disasters). But life is about learning. Go ahead and make mistakes — just try not to make the same mistake twice.

5. “Your eyes can deceive you; don’t trust them.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, A New Hope

When it comes to cybersecurity, as long as users can carry out their tasks and nobody is being threatened with terrifying ransomware demands, then everything must be perfectly fine, right? Wrong! IT pros know that bad actors can breach devices and networks, and persist for long periods of time before being detected. In fact, according to a recent study, it now takes an average of 277 days for security teams to identify and contain a data breach!

IT pros have the same ominous warning as Obi-Wan: it is essential to go below the surface and closely monitor who is doing something (identity management), and what they are doing (access management). Without this visibility, cybersecurity and IT security are not a result of strategies, policies, governance, and infrastructure, but a matter of luck. That evokes another bit of wisdom from Obi-Wan “In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck.”

6. “You can’t stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.” — Shmi Skywalker, The Phantom Menace

IT pros know that the only constant in the IT world is change. Today’s leading-edge trends become tomorrow’s obsolete tools. But it this a bad thing? No! It makes things interesting. There is always something to explore, and new lessons to learn. No two days are alike — heck, sometimes no two hours are alike. As Mando would say: “This is the way.”

7. “We're not alone. Good people will fight if we lead them.” — Poe Dameron, The Rise of Skywalker

IT pros know that despite your very best efforts, sometimes things don’t go as planned — or worse, people don’t do what they’re supposed to (even though you’ve told them again… and again… and again).

Well, when things seem dark and dreary, please know that you are not alone! Everyone here in the Devolutions community is on your side. You may not have an executive title but you are most definitely a leader, and we applaud and admire you.

8. “Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us.” — Anakin Skywalker, Attack of the Clones

OK, so this one isn’t as inspiring and triumphant as the others on the list, but it’s still good practical advice. Sometimes, IT pros are extremely clear and confident that they know the best path forward — not because they are arrogant, but because they have objectively analyzed a situation or problem from multiple angles, and combined their experience and knowledge with research and investigation. However, despite this, sometimes their advice and warnings are not accepted. In these scenarios, sometimes it is the better part of wisdom to compromise and find a consensus. IT pros who have long, successful, and satisfying careers are those with a knack for finding a balance between perfection and pragmatism.

9. “I’m a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion.” — Mando, The Mandalorian

The “weapons” we are referring to here are the tools and technologies that IT pros cannot imagine not having on a daily basis, because they are so essential and useful. For example, who wants to work in a world without PowerShell? That would be like getting stuck in Mos Eisley, where according to Obi-Wan “you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”

10. “Luke, I am your father.” — Darth Vader, The Empire Strikes Back

Aha, you caught us! What Darth Vader REALLY said was “No, I am your father.” However, millions of people believe that he said “Luke, I am your father,” and as a result the latter phrase has entered the mainstream (and meme) vocabulary instead of the former.

Why did we add this to our list of classic phrases? Because we wanted to make an important point: Sometimes in IT and especially in cybersecurity, certain incorrect beliefs can take root. For example, some organizations mistakenly think:

• That they only need a password manager — even though these tools are essentially built for business continuity and not for password security! Read more about this here.

• That LDAP unauthenticated binds are positive instead of negative, and should therefore be disabled ASAP. Read more about this here.

• That using a VPN is the best way to secure remote connections, when a Gateway is a far superior method for multiple reasons. Read more about this here.

These are just three of MANY examples of how common sense, while common, does not always make a lot of sense when you take a closer look. Thankfully, IT pros like you can see through the confusion and myths. You are like Watto in The Phantom Menace when you say: “Mind tricks don’t work on me.”

May the 4th Be With You!

We hope that you enjoyed our list of ten classic phrases from the Star Wars franchise that apply to life in IT. Did some of these quotes really resonate with you? Are there other quotes that you would like to add? Please share your thoughts by commenting below. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind! As Yoda advised: “Fear is the path to the dark side… fear leads to anger… anger leads to hate… hate leads to suffering” (now come on, could a mere monkey have come up with a pearl of wisdom like that!?).