From WarGames to Darknet Diaries: My Cybersecurity Origin Story

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Lately, I’ve become increasingly curious about the pop culture moments that inspire people to explore cybersecurity. Whether it’s a comic book, television series, podcast, movie, or article, there always seems to be a story that sparks someone’s interest and sends them down the rabbit hole.

Part of my daily routine is listening to the Daily Cyber Threat Brief by Dr. Gerald Auger. He’s been an incredible mentor to many aspiring cybersecurity professionals, and I often find inspiration for blog topics, career development ideas, and areas of study from his content. One thing I’ve noticed is that when he discusses cybersecurity news, he frequently references movies, books, and other pieces of pop culture that helped shape the cybersecurity community and his person perspective.

One of the most frequently mentioned examples is the 1983 film WarGames. This past week, I finally sat down and watched it, and I can see why it remains such an influential piece of hacker culture. It’s fascinating to look back at how people in the early 1980s imagined the future of computer systems, military automation, and global conflict. While the technology may seem dated by today’s standards, many of the themes still feel surprisingly relevant in 2026.

One aspect of the movie that stood out to me was the use of war-dialing. The hacker David Lightman uses a computer and acoustic-coupler modem to automatically dial telephone numbers in search of other computer systems connected to phone lines, which was absolutely wild to see. Seeing this portrayed on screen in 1983 must have been mind-blowing. I can only imagine what it would have been like to watch that movie as a teenager during that era.

Although I was much younger, I do remember the days of dial-up internet. I can still hear the sound of the modem connecting and remember my mother yelling downstairs for me to disconnect because she needed to use the phone. Looking back now, it’s interesting to realize how much of today’s cybersecurity history is connected to those early telecommunications systems.

Another major influence on my curiosity has been the podcast Darknet Diaries. It’s one of the few podcasts where I’ve listened to every single episode. The show explores some of the most fascinating stories from the history of cybercrimes and internet culture.

One story that particularly caught my attention was the history of Phrack Magazine. Distributed as 7-bit ASCII text files across bulletin board systems or BBSs, Phrack became one of the most influential publications in the hacker and phone-phreaking communities. It served as a platform for underground culture of the time sharing technical knowledge and discussions about telecommunications systems long before modern social media or online forums existed.

I was especially interested to learn that Phrack recently returned to print for the very first time, with physical editions appearing around the DEF CON community. Holding a printed copy of a publication that originally existed as plain text files on BBS systems feels like holding a piece of cybersecurity history. Although I don’t have one knowing that the community around these pop-culture icons are still thriving today is incredible. I am new to the field and I feel like I missed so much.

What strikes me most is how interconnected these stories are. The wardialing depicted in WarGames, the phone-phreaking culture discussed in Phrack, and the stories told on Darknet Diaries all represent different chapters of the same history. They remind us that cybersecurity is more than technology, I’m learning that it’s a culture built on curiosity, experimentation, and a desire to understand how systems work. Build it, break it, and put it back together. It’s almost as if the childlike curiosity in us never really grows up. That’s the feeling I get whenever I learn something new or have the opportunity to teach someone else what I’ve learned.

So I am curious: What was the cultural item that sent you down the cybersecurity rabbit hole? Was it a movie, a book, a podcast, a video games, or something else entirely?

I’d love to hear your story and continue building my own list of the pop culture moments that inspired people to pursue cyber security.