Cybersecurity is no less exciting subject for a thriller movie action. The term “cybersecurity” might sound daunting as if it always and only refers to serious, technical work.
However, TV and cinema make everything thrilling and exciting. You can see it in our top ten cybersecurity movies and series that you can watch in your free time. Check them out to enhance your cybersecurity awareness and (most important) have some fun.
The Matrix (1999)
A film that began as a cult classic but has since acquired unrivaled global acclaim as a classic. Keanu Reeves plays a computer hacker in a dystopian future tasked with rescuing humanity from a simulation known as the Matrix. This film has a lot to unpack, both literally and metaphorically.
The Matrix is a virtual environment constructed by intelligent machines to imprison humans and use their bodies as a source of energy. When you compare similar things we see around us where people are constantly on their electronics, you start wondering!
The Imitation Game (2004)
This Oscar-nominated film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, is set during World War II and depicts the story of a newly formed British agency that hires a mathematician to crack Germany’s enigma code.
Despite not being exactly a cybersecurity movie, this film is still relevant. It shows the building blocks of what we use in cybersecurity today (more specifically cryptography).
The Great Hack (2019)
An eye-opening cybersecurity movie, this documentary looks at the Cambridge Analytica crisis from the eyes of those who were affected by it. This is an exciting deep-dive into the consequences of a breach of data privacy from a (supposedly) trusted source.
Black Mirror (2011)
This is one of those science fiction series that shows the evil side of society’s fascination with technology. The series’ plot revolves around futuristic technology that can go beyond simply helping people live better lives and possibly turn against humankind.
This fantastic British sci-fi series represents the blank phone screen that displays your reflection. Consider a thin border between the digital and the physical worlds, with you somewhere in the middle. Doesn’t it sound eerie?
Scorpion (2014)
The narrative of Walter Brian, a computer hacker with an IQ of 197, is told in the US drama television series (the average is 90-110). He collaborates with other geeks to establish a community that tackles cybercrime! He hacked NASA’s networks at 13 and obtained CAD files for the actual Space Shuttle Columbia.
If you’re interested in learning about diverse science facts, coding, and hacking, don’t hesitate to check out this series.
Wargames: The Dead Code (1983)
In this amusing film, US Homeland Security is looking for two adolescents who mistakenly hack into a US military supercomputer set to predict and execute a nuclear attack against the Soviet Union!
The film is considered a classic, as it’s one of the first depictions of hacking in movies. It was even nominated for an Academy Award, which is a first and only for cybersecurity movies.
V For Vendetta (2005)
This film is set in a dystopian future. Due to a viral outbreak, the British government imposes a harsh curfew on its population. Suspicious of illegal activity, an anarchist enlists Natalie Portman’s assistance in hacking into television networks.
A pretty novel yet noble application of hacking talents exposes the dangers of what might go wrong if the wrong type of people can hack into public media networks, making this a cybersecurity movie very much focused on hacktivism.
Silicon Valley (2014)
Welcome to the world of software developers with bright ideas who want to change the world. This is a US television series about five ambitious geeks who started a firm in Silicon Valley and rose to stardom (or not). The series depicts the technology world lightheartedly, even if it’s not a cybersecurity TV show per se, featuring startups and firms based on real-life organizations and businesses.
Millennium Trilogy (2009)
This three-film series recounts the exploits of antisocial detective and hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist. While the series is not exactly made of cybersecurity movies, hacking and the discovery of digital fingerprints play an essential role throughout.
Mr. Robot (2015)
Elliot Alderson, a skilled hacker and cybersecurity engineer who suffers from social anxiety disorder and clinical depression, is the plot’s protagonist. When Mr. Robot asks him to join a group of hacktivists on a mission to destroy the world’s largest financial empire, his life is turned upside down.
All of the hacking scenes in the series are pretty realistic, employing legitimate techniques, code, and equipment, making this one of the most faithful cybersecurity TV shows ever.
We hope you will like our top ten movies and TV shows based on the cybersecurity theme. Some might make you worry; some might make you smile, but they all carry good sets of knowledge that help raise cybersecurity awareness.
Have these descriptions of cybersecurity’s various real-world applications piqued your interest? If you want to increase cybersecurity knowledge, try our cyber fitness challenge, it’s free!
Finally, there must be some movies and shows that you believe should be included. That’s fantastic! Please let us know if we missed anything on our LinkedIn page.
