The episode "Fifteen Million Merits" from Black Mirror delves into a dystopian world ful of issues that are intertwined with computer and network security. The episode may not directly focus on traditional security concerns like hacking, viruses, or data breaches, but the underlying themes offer a perspective on digital systems, automated workflows, and user authentication that are relevant to the area.
The episode discusses biometric authentication to ensure that credits are exchanged correctly. For example, intrusive ads that are not skipped using credits must be seen by the user's eyes in order to continue playing. [1] This ensures the security of the credit exchange system and allows the system to exploit the humans interacting with it more effectively. In the real world, biometric systems like this are susceptible to breaches, cloning, and other unauthorized uses, but these are less effective in the fictional world of Black Mirror where all users have little to no ability to hack or infiltrate the system software.
Additionally, the risk of external cyberattacks is significantly reduced in a tightly controlled, closed system like the one depicted in "Fifteen Million Merits". The absence of internet connectivity or any interface through which unauthorized users could gain access makes it a more secure environment by default. This kind of "air-gapped" system effectively isolates it from common threats faced by real-world systems today, like banks, exchanges, and online stores. Additionally, the lack of agency and technical capability among the users means there is virtually no internal threat.
In the context of computer and network security, "Fifteen Million Merits" presents a scenario where an extreme emphasis on system integrity and stability results in the removal of individual freedoms. This all-encompassing security approach resembles some of today's discussions on the trade-offs between individual privacy and the broader safety of the digital landscape [2]. While the episode's closed, air-gapped system eliminates traditional vulnerabilities as described in the chapter, it poses questions about the longevity and results of such tight security measures. As each of these security technologies becomes more powerful, it is clear how they can be used in tandem to restrict individual autonomy.
[1] Black Mirror: Fifteen Million Merits (42:00)
[2] Quach, Sara, et al. “Digital technologies: Tensions in privacy and Data.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 50, no. 6, 2022, pp. 1299–1323, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00845-y.
Computer and Network Security - Notes while watching
Intro: "intrusive" advertisements into main character's "system" or "world"
Still part of the same application of course
Vending machine - automatic systems have to be tampered with in order to use them correctly
Biometric authentication for advertisement viewing, ensuring users exchange credits correctly.
"Imprinting" chip to secure physical areas in the living space per each individual
system has vulnerabilities when it comes to physical security