Could a cyberattack like Netflix’s Leave the World Behind be carried out and everything collapse?

Nowadays, the idea of ​​a massive cyberattack capable of unleashing real-life chaos is a pretty crazy and seemingly far-fetched idea, but not impossible. As presented in the Netflix movie Leaving the World Behind, the truth is that it is quite scary.

In this case, A scenario is presented in which essential services such as Internet, mobile telephony and transportation collapse, seeking to plunge a nation into chaos to facilitate a change of government. Although the concept is striking and the truth is that it invites you to spend an afternoon watching it, you can rest assured because cybersecurity experts consider such a coordinated and sophisticated cyberattack unlikely.

Chad Heitzenrater, an information scientist specializing in cyber warfare, points out that planning and executing an attack of this magnitude would be extremely difficult, even for a nation-state. This suggests that a regional or very limited case seems more likely..

“The planning that goes into it, and many of these operations, like any military operation… are not guaranteed,” Heitzenrater explains. “So to have so many things that you’re going to act on, be sure that they’re all going to work, and execute them in a time frame that makes them all seem so coordinated that everything comes out at once; that would be really hard work.” for anyone, even for a nation-state,” he adds in an interview with Business Insider.

The film proposes a scenario that is scary, although it seems unlikely according to experts

Experts argue that complete deactivation of systems nationwide is unlikely. Automation in aviation could generate localized impacts, but not on the scale presented in the film.

In terms of profitability, Heitzenrater points out that evaluating whether a cyberattack of this magnitude would be “profitable” is complicated. While vulnerabilities can allow for large-scale attacks, finding and exploiting these issues across multiple sectors would require enormous investment, making it a near-impossible task. “When you think about it as a whole, then it’s not that cheap,” he says.