Cyber War

Last month, I read the apocalyptic thriller Daemon. It's a gripping novel of internet Armageddon by Daniel Suarez, an independent systems consultant. It's his first novel, and it's quite an impressive debut.

It also got me thinking. First, about plausibility. I did some checking and found that lots of smart people are worried about internet security and cyber attacks including the Pentagon as Wall Street Journal columnist L. Gordon Crovitz makes clear in this commentary: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122930102219005425.html

Science fiction has been interested in the issue for decades, and Hollywood has shown increasing interest. I'm not exactly a sci-fi fan. Or, a computer whiz. That would be my brother and son. My brother—who majored in math and computer science and is a math professor—has read every sci-fi novel ever published. Okay, I exaggerate. But only slightly. I usually rely on him and my son—whose engineering track at West Point was computer science—for sci-fi recommendations.

The movies on the subject of computer systems, cyber attacks, internet security, etc., that I can name off the top of my head make a short list. But, I figure that if I've seen them, most everyone else has too.

The list begins with "The Matrix," a haunting tale of computer tyranny. Wildly popular, "The Matrix" mixes action, groundbreaking special effects, sci-fi, and philosophy to provocative effect. The movie's message is that computers are part of the problem, not part of the solution, which seems to be the typical conceit of computer-themed movies.

"The Matrix" was a breakout role for Keanu Reaves. "The Net," another 1990's cyber thriller, owed much of its success to the presence of Sandra Bullock who was already a star. Bullock plays a systems analyst who discovers a back door in a popular computer security program that allows hackers to tap into classified systems. (Interestingly, the daemon of Daemon also exploits back doors to invade computers. Again, the message is one of sinister forces let loose upon society.)
The Robert Redford vehicle "Sneakers" likewise plays upon our fear of technology out of control. In the film, Redford leads a team of hackers who are blackmailed into finding a black box that can compromise any computer system.

"I, Robot" completes my short list. I probably saw it because it stars Will Smith and Bridget Moynahan. Set in 2035, it raises fears about robots turning on their putative masters. The film takes its title at least from the Isacc Asimov short story of the same name.

(It's interesting that one of the leading robotics firms has a similar name, iRobot, and provides robots to the Department of Defense. The troops love them. And, why not? Among other things, they're used to check out and dismantle IEDs. None have been reported to have turned on their handlers.)

So far, I'd say that computers and the internet have been more liberating than anything else. But who knows what the future holds?

We should remember that entertainment thrives on drama, and drama thrives on conflict. So, it's no surprise that writers and filmmakers are drawn to the potential conflict in any new technology—and especially one as pervasive and mysterious as computers. And, to be honest, computers pose real dangers.

Daniel Suarez has tapped into that potential danger in a big way. I'm guessing that you'll be seeing Daemon on the NY Times bestseller list. You might also be seeing him at the movies. Author Suarez has signed a film deal with producer Walter Parks whose movies include "Minority Report" and "A.I." Plus, Suarez just got the USA Today treatment here: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-01-05-daemon_N.htm