Matthew Broderick recounted his role in the 1983 movie "WarGames” in an opening talk at RSA Conference in San Francisco.
Hollywood actor Matthew Broderick recounted his role in the 1983 movie "WarGames” and how it contributed to a US government policy, in an opening talk at RSA Conference in San Francisco.
Broderick shared an anecdote about President Ronald Reagan's reaction to the movie during a routine movie night at the White House. The plot follows Broderick’s character David Lightman accidentally hacking into the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and nearly starting a world war.
Broderick learned that Reagan was deeply unsettled by the incidents, and after watching, the President asked high-level government officials if something like what the film portrayed could really happen. This led to a new White House directive to safeguard security protocols for the telecom and information security systems of the time.
“So, the story became a film that was watched by a president and resulted in a new policy. That's just one example of how stories can change the future,” Broderick said.
“Every day delivers a world of news stories. In my line of work, they become movies or shows. In your line of work, they can be new discoveries of new risks or threats and opportunities to implement your talents.”
This story originally appeared on SC Magazine US, follow for full coverage of RSA Conference this week.
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.
