It’s difficult to believe that The Matrix celebrated its 20th anniversary in March. It’s equally hard to ignore how well the film has stood the test of time. With Oscar-winning innovations in stunt work and special effects such as “bullet time,” the sci-fi epic starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne changed Hollywood, according to some film critics.
At least, I think so.
It’s not just the special effects and plot development that remain fresh. What’s relevant for security professionals is the similarities between the characters and plot and how we look at modern security practices and technology.
The film’s protagonist — the computer programmer Mr. Anderson, played by Reeves — is one of billions of humans unwittingly inhabiting a simulated reality, referred to as the “Matrix.” Through a process of self-realization and literal rebirth, he becomes the hero, Neo. The process has been triggered by his choice of swallowing a “red pill” of reality instead of the…
