Years ago I remember Hollywood producing attempts at riveting yet profitable on-screen dramas which involved plot-centric cyber security elements resulting only in disappointment as they bore no resemblance to actual reality. Today as InfoSec becomes more mainstream there are now big and small screen serials involving a hacker protagonist or a cyber victim heroine. What I like about modern-day renditions is the themes and dialogue are no longer technically fictional. We live in the age of information and war is fought on the cyber battleground. Nothing is more relevant than the context of a personally identifiable subject. Still the Hollywood dramas, as realistic as they are, still leave a lot to roll your eyes at (or to cover your eyes at).
Recently a Podcast in my weekly portfolio focused on a real-life cyber crime victimizing one of its’ producers. Reply All is Gimlet Media’s freshman audio periodical which is supposed to be about the Internet, but is really about how humanity interacts with connected technology. They posted a two-part episode which outlined in captivating detail how a personal Uber account and iPhone app were hacked and all of the consequences that ensued. In addition to being an extremely entertaining two-hours, the story was told in investigative prose as the journalists play detective to solve the case of how the account was hacked. Every answered clue led to more and more questions. What is most exciting is that this is TRUE STORY and not dramatized for a Golden Globe nomination. The very same cause and effect could happen to me, you or your grandmother. I love real world examples because they speak to me personally. This the true for all education formats, regardless of the subject.
If you want to laugh, cry, sigh, scream and think about how it could even happen to you, and can devote about a full two-hours (not including advertising breaks) I highly recommend giving episodes 93 and 95 a listen. Good for the car, or at home snug in bed. The links are below, enjoy!
