What started US cyber security? The 1983 movie War Games?

[davidbfpo]

Thanks to Hamid Hussain for a review of Fred Kaplan's new book 'Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War', for this passage:

It was a 1983 movie War Games that prompted President Ronald Reagan to ask Pentagon if someone could break into Department of Defense (DOD) computers and tamper with missile launch. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Vessey came back a week with the answer that the problem was much worse than they thought. This prompted the first attempts of cyber security.
(Later) Dark Territory is a good book about the history of cyber security and vulnerabilities. It gives a glimpse about how increasing complexity also increases the vulnerabilities.

IIRC there are other examples of how outsiders publicly expose insecurity, sometimes with the help of Hollywood. Plus a decision-maker asks WTF. Well done to President Reagan.

Many excellent reviews on:http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Territory...y+of+cyber+war