CyberWire Daily — "Hacker Movies Then vs Now" [Threat Vector]

Date: November 27, 2025
Host: David Moulton, N2K Networks
Guest: Ben Haskam, Global Content Leader for Palo Alto Networks, author of the Control Alt Delusion series

Episode Overview

This episode of Threat Vector takes a deep dive into the world of classic hacker movies and their impact on cybersecurity culture and public perception. David Moulton interviews Ben Haskam, whose Control Alt Delusion series revisits hacker films with a modern security lens. Together, they discuss the technical plausibility, cultural influence, and cinematic legacies of movies like WarGames, The Net, and Hackers, and how these stories compare to cybersecurity realities today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origins of the Control Alt Delusion Series

• Ben Haskam shares the story behind launching the series:
  • The idea stemmed from his film background and the realization that Hollywood hacker movies offered a unique lens for discussing cybersecurity through popular culture.
  • He pitched the idea internally to positive reception and was encouraged to combine film analysis with real-world cybersecurity implications.
  • Quote:

    "I do have a film background...could we revisit these movies with a bit of like a cybersecurity lens on them to say, do these movies hold up in any sort of way?" — Ben Haskam, [02:10]

Why Hacker Movies Resonate

• Films are a digestible medium for the public to learn (or mislearn) about cybersecurity.
• Movies often shape or warp public perception, providing a starting point for broader discussions about digital risk.
• Quote:

  "It's probably the most digestible medium for, you know, the broader audience to sort of, you know, glean, like, what is cybersecurity like and how is a hack performed?" — Ben Haskam, [04:11]

Deep Dives into Key Films

WarGames (1983)

• Personal Impact:
  • Ben was deeply influenced by the film as a child—so much so that he attempted a light form of "hacking" in high school, inspired by protagonist David Lightman.
  • Anecdote: Ben changed his grade through social engineering, which echoed methods used in WarGames.
  • Quote:

    "I hacked, if you will, into my school system and changed my grade...I was maybe more of a social engineer." — Ben Haskam, [06:36]

• Technical Accuracy:
  • War dialing and backdoor passwords were plausible elements; the simplicity and scope of the hack (guessing "Joshua") was implausible.
  • The movie’s portrayal of an AI deciding not to play is engaging but not representative of today’s adversarial AI logic.
  • Quote:

    "It's like finding out, like the one thing protecting Fort Knox is like an unlocked screen door... to get into the Whopper system is a little ludicrous." — Ben Haskam, [08:53]

• Cultural & Policy Impact:
  • The film sparked actual government concern about the vulnerability of computer systems, notably influencing U.S. cybersecurity policy.
  • Quote:

    "Think about what War Games did and influencing actual policy... he [Reagan] watched the movie and turned to his national security advisor and said, could that happen?" — Ben Haskam, [32:04]

The Net (1995)

• Prevailing Themes:
  • Introduced mainstream audiences to the fragility of digital identity and the lurking fear of erasure/identity theft.
  • The "Hollywood logic" is often flawed—such as the premise that a person can be entirely deleted from existence by digital means.
  • Memorable moment:

    "My dad...was like, it is ridiculous that Sandra Bullock lives next door to you and you don't know who she is. Like, how is that possible?" — Ben Haskam, [15:17]

• Legacy:
  • Sparked a culture of digital paranoia; some people still avoid digital exposure due to fears stirred by movies like The Net.
  • The notion that "digital identity is fragile and the systems we trust...can turn on us in the wrong hands" still resonates.
  • Quote:

    "It did show us then and it's true now. Like, the digital identity is fragile and the systems we trust, a lot of the times can...turn on us in the wrong hands." — Ben Haskam, [19:10]

Hackers (1995)

• Cultural Impact:
  • Cult classic among tech communities, but considered the most "delusional" in terms of technical realism.
  • Iconic psychedelic 3D "hacking" scenes—flying through graphical cyberscapes—are pure Hollywood invention.
  • Quote:

    "When they hack the Gibson...they're not looking at lines of code. They're literally flying through, like, a psychedelic 3D cityscape...It's...as delusional as it gets." — Ben Haskam, [23:39]

• What It Got Right:
  • Captured the early hacker ethos—curiosity, anti-authoritarianism, and belief in free information.
  • Referenced the real-life Hacker Manifesto, bringing cyber subculture into the mainstream.
  • Quote:

    "It's about hackers having intellectual curiosity and kind of the belief that information should be free and democratic...that mission statement, you know, it's, it's devolved, you know, certainly to some extent." — Ben Haskam, [26:47]

Evolution of Hacker Portrayals

• Change in Motive:

  • Early depictions focused on curiosity and rebellion; modern motivations are more nuanced, often financial or antiheroic.
  • If made today, movies like Hackers would likely focus more on moral ambiguity and consequences.

• Hollywood's Lasting Influence:

  • Films have shaped not just culture, but also policy and professional dialogue around cybersecurity.
  • They provide a "common narrative" to bridge technical and non-technical audiences in organizations.
  • Quote:

    "To give Hollywood credit...they really did a good job of like simplifying really complex things about cybersecurity...it provides this common ground for technical and non-technical audiences." — Ben Haskam, [33:37]

Beyond Nostalgia — Modern Cyber in Film & TV

• Greater Realism?
  • Most modern depictions still fall back on old tropes—speedy hacking, magical progress bars, etc.
  • Mr. Robot singled out as an exception for realism in both technical depiction and psychological authenticity.
  • Quote:

    "The act of cybersecurity is...still largely a person staring at a screen...writers falling back on those tropes of frantic typing and these, like, magical progress bars...Mr. Robot really did a nice job..." — Ben Haskam, [37:25]

  • Leave the World Behind offers another approach by focusing on consequences over computer screens.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hacking vs Reality:

  "Click, click, click on the keyboard, I'm in. And it's a little ridiculous, but, you know, it works for the scene, but not for reality." — David Moulton, [05:55]

• Identity Erasure:

  "Just because you're removed from the Internet doesn't mean that you're removed from reality and people would still remember you." — David Moulton, [13:27]

• Paranoia's Endurance:

  "It has to be digital paranoia. You know, it's...still resonant...even to this day...the Internet as a powerful tool, but also as sort of a dangerous tool…" — Ben Haskam, [20:15]

• Swordfish and Peak Absurdity:

  "The one that sticks out for me the most is Swordfish...he’s got a gun to his head...‘you got 60 seconds to write this worm or I’m gonna kill you’’ and...he does it. Not only would this take longer than 60 seconds, it would take weeks, if not months, and this is, like, with a team of people." — Ben Haskam, [39:22]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:10] — Origins of Control Alt Delusion series
• [06:36] — Ben’s personal hacking story, inspired by WarGames
• [08:53] — Technical analysis: WarGames' plausibility
• [13:27] — The Net and the concept of identity erasure
• [20:15] — Enduring legacy: digital paranoia
• [23:39] — Most unrealistic hacker scene: Hackers’ Gibson hack
• [26:47] — Hacker culture: ideals and evolution
• [32:04] — Movies shaping public perception and policy
• [33:37] — Cinematic stories as tools for communication in cybersecurity
• [37:25] — Modern cyber films and TV: Mr. Robot and others
• [39:22] — The wildest/most "delusional" scene: Swordfish

Where to Find Ben Haskam & His Series

• Control Alt Delusion series: Palo Alto Networks Perspectives
• LinkedIn: Ben Haskam (EN Haskamp)

Closing Thoughts

Throughout the conversation, Ben and David highlight the distinctive interplay between Hollywood’s storytelling and cybersecurity reality. The lasting value of hacker movies may lie less in their technical accuracy and more in their ability to spark curiosity, shape cultural narratives, and provide memorable shorthand for complex digital issues—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.