When I first watched War Games (1983) I thought "wow, so weird, not only they had terrible password management, but their test 'AI' system was directly linked to the prod".

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina@tech.lmucho still cannot get my head around the idea of "negotiating" with a computer and gaslighting it with natural language, as a real hacking technique

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina@tech.lgbt Welcome to War Games 2026 🫠

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina

[Gast]

@brewski @nina_kali_nina the Master Control Program is meant to control everything

( https://tron.fandom.com/wiki/Master_Control_Program )

[Gast]

@xs4me2 @nina_kali_nina if only they'd thought to use Louvre1

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina Dabney Coleman played the first tech bro.

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina That movie was the reason my cousin was not allowed to have a modem on his Commodore 64.

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina

I figure there was only one computer - the computer. Not like today with a virtual machine on any lever close by to test stuff.

I think this was how things where at the time, also in reality at The Swedish Social Insurance Agency and their Bull Cobol machines - you coded in prod and just solved the thing where it was needed.
I recall this from a tour I had some 20 years ago when I was an employee but 20 years is a long time to mess upp memories so I might be wrong.

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina

Indeed, I would piss upon a spark plug if I thought it would improve the situation.

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina you made my day

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina in clear and present danger (1994) they also have terrible password management

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina
Also, a lot of the "hacking" the kid did was barely hacking. It was more just sneaking into the drawer at the office and reading the password from a piece of paper. Still a security violation, but not "hacking" in any sort of strict sense.

[0x00string@infosec.exchange]

@nina_kali_nina @Phracker2Art the autodialong to find the game company to breach at the beginning was the most hacking in the whole movie

[Gast]

@0x00string @nina_kali_nina
I recognized it pretty much immediately as a war dialer, which is the equivalent of using a port scanner today

[0x00string@infosec.exchange]

@Phracker2Art @nina_kali_nina yep! which i always thought "yeah, thats some real boring hacking there!" but then it went all thriller movie lol. still one of my top 5 favorite computer movies though

[Gast]

@0x00string @nina_kali_nina
Actually, I would say the coolest hacking thing he did was when he digitally picked the lock to escape from the room he was being held in at that government building. That was more impressive to me than any of the other stuff.

[0x00string@infosec.exchange]

@nina_kali_nina @Phracker2Art OH SHIT I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT! yes, hard agree that is the best hacking in the movie, and still pretty realistic tbh

[Gast]

@nina_kali_nina Good point. It's more realistic than I thought.

[brooke@bikeshed.vibber.net]

@Phracker2Art @nina_kali_nina that's classic social engineering, the most basic and effective form of hacking

[Gast]

@brooke @nina_kali_nina
Sure, it's social engineering, but there's no actual exploits involved.