What Does "Zero Day" Mean? Netflix Series Sparks Dynamic Dialogue About Cybersecurity

There's something comforting about an apocalyptic thriller that explores what it's like when everything goes wrong. Finding out just how bad it can get alongside characters who are discovering their world is falling apart feels like a reminder that we aren't the only ones living in a chaotic timeline where things seem to love going wrong.

With Netflix's series Zero Day, Robert de Niro plays a former president who is living in retirement until he is tapped by the current president, played by Angela Bassett, to investigate a vicious cyberattack that targeted thousands of victims.

The name of the series is clearly linked to the subject matter, but what exactly is a "Zero Day"? Here's what we know about why they picked the name and how it's related to cybersecurity.

"Zero day" is a cybersecurity phrase. In the world of tech security, it is a commonly used phrase to describe "a vulnerability in software that has not yet been fixed," according to Forbes.

The phrase comes from the fact that it's a known vulnerability and there are "zero days" to get it fixed before it becomes a major problem.

In the series, it goes beyond relating to a single vulnerability in a single operating system, like Android or Apple, however.

As identified by Angela Bassett's character, President Evelyn Mitchel, the world in Zero Day is being impacted by a cybersecurity zero-day attack that is targeting multiple vulnerabilities across multiple major operating systems.

It's a "worst case scenario" kind of cybersecurity threat, exposing the vulnerable underbelly of many of the systems that keep society running the way it does, with so much integrated technology.

Like so many apocalyptic series that explore the darkest days of humanity, Zero Day might inspire you to wonder if this is something that could actually happen.

There is, of course, a slim possibility that hackers could be that sophisticated, especially if they are working with an AI program that can learn faster than human hackers.

However, it's not likely. Ben Hutchison, associate principal consultant at Black Duck, told Forbes, "While the possibility of zero-day vulnerabilities being leveraged to attack critical national infrastructure is accurate, the means to do so across diverse and distributed systems nationwide at the same moment is unlikely. It would need an adversary to compromise multiple widespread systems — each of which have their own constraints and complexities."

While this may help you breathe a sigh of relief about this particular scenario, that doesn't mean that there aren't other serious cybersecurity threats to be aware of.

Cyber Management Alliance, which tracks trends and statistics in cybersecurity threats, noted more than 25 major cybersecurity attacks in 2024 alone, exposing user data and potentially allowing hackers to have access to vital government systems.

There's something convenient about having a fully integrated world, with technology at your fingertips everywhere you turn. Security and overall wellness can be enhanced by the use of technology, and convenience certainly goes up through the use of tech.

But by relying on technology and integrating it into our most vital systems, we are also creating a potential disaster in the making.

Luckily, cybersecurity as a field is growing almost as fast as threats can manifest, meaning that there are hopefully guardians keeping us safe from things that go "beep" in the night.