The Movie That Changed Nuclear Policy

The 1983 film WarGames was so realistic that it terrified President Ronald Reagan. After watching it, he asked his military advisors if a similar computer intrusion could actually trigger a global nuclear conflict.

The film follows a teenager who hacks into a military supercomputer, nearly starting a real war. Reagan was so unsettled by the movie's portrayal of electronic vulnerability that he later cited it during discussions about national security. This dialogue contributed directly to the creation of the first US directives on computer security. It is rare for a simple Hollywood thriller to leave a lasting mark on high-level government policy.