Law professor and hacker historian Scott Shapiro discusses the portrayal of hacking in movies, emphasizing the inaccuracies and unreliability of Hollywood's depiction. They explore the connection between law, philosophy, and cybersecurity, and analyze movies like 'Sneakers' and 'Mr. Robot' for their realistic portrayals. They critique the misrepresentations in the film 'Snowden' and debunk common hacker stereotypes.
War Games highlights the dangers of artificial intelligence, raises awareness about hacking risks, and led to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986.
Sneakers showcases the importance of social engineering and physical intrusion in hacking, providing insights into real-world hacking operations.
Snowden misrepresents mass surveillance and lacks factual context, failing to capture the scope and implications of Snowden's disclosures.
Deep dives
War Games: Teaching us what to be afraid of
War Games is a groundbreaking hacker movie that teaches us what to be afraid of in terms of artificial intelligence and automation in the name of security. It portrays the concern about putting ourselves at the mercy of computers and the importance of humans being in control. The protagonist, played by Matthew Broderick, showcases the real-world technique of war dialing, which involves generating random phone numbers to find unprotected remote computers. War Games is historically significant as it led to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and raised awareness about the potentials and risks of hacking.
Sneakers: Mixing physical intrusion with hacking
Sneakers is a spy movie that delves into the world of hackers and their role in gathering intelligence. The film combines physical intrusion with hacking, highlighting the importance of social engineering and gaining access to restricted areas. While the movie takes some liberties with the legality and ethics of hacking, it accurately portrays the blending of technology and physical security, emphasizing the vulnerabilities that can be exploited. By showcasing the techniques used in physical intrusion and social manipulation, Sneakers provides insights into the complexities of real-world hacking operations.
Snowden: Misrepresenting mass surveillance and hacking
Snowden, a 2016 film directed by Oliver Stone, falls short in accurately portraying the realities of mass surveillance and hacking. The film misrepresents key aspects, such as the differences between bulk collection and targeted collection, and exaggerates the capabilities and lack of oversight within the intelligence community. It fails to provide factual context and instead focuses on a narrative driven by the director's personal viewpoint. While the film is compelling in its own way, it falls short in truly capturing the scope and implications of Snowden's disclosures.
Hackers and Hacking Representations in Films
The podcast episode delves into the portrayal of hackers and hacking in movies, discussing the accuracy and misconceptions surrounding these portrayals. The hosts mention various films, such as 'Die Hard 4', 'Snowden', and 'Mr. Robot', and analyze how they depict hacking in terms of realism, technical aspects, and the psychological profiles of hackers. They highlight that while some movies exaggerate hacking abilities and create a sense of centralized control over the internet, the reality is that hackers are mainly young individuals, often boys, who are highly social online and tend to age out of hacking. They also touch on the diversion programs initiated by certain countries to redirect young hackers towards legitimate cybersecurity work.
Hacking in 'Die Hard 4'
The podcast focuses on the film 'Die Hard 4' (also known as 'Live Free or Die Hard') and its portrayal of hacking in a post-9/11 environment. The hosts discuss how the movie tapped into the public's paranoia about hacking and cyber threats in the mid-2000s. They point out that while the film incorporates elements of heightened vulnerability to cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, it falls short in terms of accuracy and realism. The hosts highlight the unrealistic depiction of hacking, such as a single user interface for all systems and an oversimplification of the complexities of hacking into different digital infrastructures in the United States. They also mention the book 'The Perfect Weapon' by David Sanger as a recommended read for a more nuanced understanding of cyber conflict.
This week, Shane sits down with law professor and hacker historian Scott Shapiro to rant, and rave, about hacker movies. From War Games to the Die Hard franchise to TV’s “Mr. Robot,” Hollywood has portrayed hackers as heroes and villains. Sometimes filmmakers get the art and culture of hacking right. Sometimes they get basic technology very wrong. But the results are almost always entertaining.
Scott is a professor at Yale Law School and the author of the new book Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks.
Here’s a list of movies Shane and Scott discussed:
