Was 'Mr Robot' Realistic?

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eracode

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#182489 18-Oct-2015 04:21

For several years I have wondered whether another global financial crisis could be caused by major malicious hacking of banks' and/or governments' systems. Recently I finished watching that brilliant TV show 'Mr Robot' - which was exactly on this point. The world was brought to a financial end by hackers.

Just now I saw two real-life stories almost next to each other on Engadget along the same lines:

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/16/someone-in-china-has-hacked-the-woods-hole-institutute/

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/16/dow-jones-trading-info-russian-hack/

I don't know much about hacking but, even allowing for dramatic licence in Mr Robot, how realistic was it and how likely to happen is something close to the outcome in that show?

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

gzt

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#1408484 18-Oct-2015 05:10

It would be disruptive but realistically this data could be recovered from other transactions. This would take time, but essentially a government would bail it out during that process. The show has not really ended, we do not know the final outcome of that. The 2008 GFC was *very* disruptive but not the end of the world. A hack event is likely to be even less.

kiwigeek1

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#1408572 18-Oct-2015 13:39

it started off good and was realistic... it showed the difference between hacking and cracking most dont know the difference and how insecure wifi is and how easy it is to break into systems

showed how someone working within could be more dangerous.. guess dont pee of a sys admin working for you?

the show went stupid sadly.. too much gay sex drugs and imaginary friends :)

was good til the Jail break episode

eracode

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#1513776 15-Mar-2016 15:08

A second season coming up. Those responsible comment on realism:

http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/14/mr-robot-sxsw-interview/

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eracode

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#1527594 7-Apr-2016 12:36

This Engadget article made me think of this thread:

http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/06/panama-papers-firm-blames-leak-on-hack/

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Fred99

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#1527633 7-Apr-2016 13:28

eracode:

This Engadget article made me think of this thread:

http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/06/panama-papers-firm-blames-leak-on-hack/

I'm so relieved by Fossack Fonseca's assurances that they "didn't do anything wrong". That claim isn't credible - on so many levels.

Hear no evil and see no evil ≠ do no evil (when you've chosen to profit by being blind and deaf)

John Key:

"New Zealand is known as a safe location, but to put a bit of perspective on it, I haven't followed the thing inside out, but aren't there 11.5 million documents or whatever? NZ has had a couple of trusts registered here but it's not like we are the only country"

OK, let's "put a bit of perspective on it". Apparently a text search of the data dump shows that New Zealand is mentioned 60,000 times.

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#1527671 7-Apr-2016 14:00

It is a bit different to Mr Robot. Mr Robot disclosed no data and no information.

This one is open disclosure similar to Snowden, except the data may have been obtained without privileged access.

eracode

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#2739019 5-Jul-2021 09:25

eracode: For several years I have wondered whether another global financial crisis could be caused by major malicious hacking of banks' and/or governments' systems. Edited.

It's nearly six years since I started this short-lived thread. At the time, others thought hacking would be unlikely to cause something like a GFC - and I thought their opinion sounded reasonable.

However, recent news of increased hacking make me think about it again - I'm not so sure we can still rule it out. Maybe not a full-blown GFC but a severe financial or governmental crisis?

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.