Here’s What a Cyber Attack Would Look Like on Our Own Soil

Alex Gibney’s new film, Zero Days, takes viewers inside the secret world of Stuxnet, a malware worm that was designed by the U.S. and Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear centrifuges—and the first cyber weapon to destroy a real-world target. While the idea of a computer virus affecting the physical world might sound like science fiction, cyber attacks mark a new frontier in warfare.

“The threat to all of us is enormous,” Gibney told TakePart about the making of the film. “We’re at a point where people are beginning to reckon with the potential for calamity.”

(Disclaimer: Zero Days is produced by Participant Media, the parent company of TakePart.)

“Cyber weapons can replace suicide bombs,” said cybersecurity expert Joseph Cirincione. “They can take over a rail system, switch tracks, and crash trains. They can close valves on a gas pipeline and cause an explosion. Basically, they can sabotage anything run by electronic controls.”

So what would a widespread cyber attack look like on our own soil? Watch the video above to find out.

Zero Days is in theaters and available on demand and on iTunes and Amazon Video.