What Zero Day Means (& Can It Happen In Real Life?)
Could the Zero Day Attack actually happen?
Netflix's Zero Day is finally here, and here is what the title means and what a Zero Day attack actually is. The new Robert De Niro miniseries comes from Eric Newman, one of the showrunners of the Narcos franchise, as well as Noah Oppenheim and Michael Schmidt. The political thriller takes a look at a cyber attack that very well could happen in real life, with it using a realistic lens to examine how the world would respond to a Zero Day attack.
Zero Day follows Robert De Niro's George Mullen, a former president who is brought back into the world of politics after a devastating cyberattack leads to countless deaths and worldwide instability. Mullen is placed in charge of a governmental task force that is working to find out who was behind the attacks. However, Mullen soon discovers that the Zero Day plot goes much deeper than anyone originally thought.
Zero Day Is A Specific Type Of CyberattackHere's What The Title Actually Means
The Netflix series Zero Day is actually named after a real cybersecurity term. Zero-day vulnerabilities occur when a piece of software is released to the public, with the code containing a vulnerability or exploit that the vendor is unaware of. If someone exploits this code vulnerability before the vendor becomes aware of it, this is referred to as a zero-day vulnerability, as the vendor has zero days to prepare a patch to fix it.
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When all of the pieces fall into place by the end of Zero Day, it becomes clear that the cyberattack from the Netflix series isn't a true zero-day attack. However, the framing of it being a zero-day vulnerability is used throughout the series. On top of that, the show constantly reminds viewers how long it has been since Zero Day, which is what the day of the attack is referred to as in-universe.
Is Zero Day Possible In Real Life?It Is, But It's Unlikely
The cyberattack in Zero Day is bigger than anything that has been seen in real life before, with all communication systems, power grids, and more going down simultaneously for an entire minute. Hypothetically, it is possible that an attack of this scale could happen in real-life, with it undeniably having the potential to have a devastating effect on the world.
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However, based on the way that the attack was carried out in Zero Day, it is doubtful that the zero-day attack would occur before someone realizes the flaw in the code. However, with how complex the communication and power systems in the world are, it is impossible to say exactly what hackers are capable of, meaning that the attack in Zero Day is a real risk.
Your RatingZero Day
Release Date
2025 - 2024
Network
Netflix
Writers
Dee Johnson