Cybersecurity’s Unsung First Responders Step Into the Spotlight

When you think of first responders, you probably picture firefighters charging into a burning building or EMTs racing to save someone’s life. But in today’s world, there’s another kind of responder—one most people will never see. These defenders sit behind glowing screens, battling unseen adversaries who can cripple hospitals, paralyze supply chains, or shut down power grids.

That reality takes center stage in Midnight in the War Room, a new feature-length documentary from Semperis. The film strips away the clichés and buzzwords to show what cybersecurity really looks like—the sleepless nights, the impossible stakes, and the quiet humanity of people who protect the systems we all depend on.

The Filmmaker-Turned-Cyber Defender

I spoke with Thomas LeDuc, co-director and executive producer of the documentary. LeDuc’s path to the project is an unusual one. Before spending the last decade in cybersecurity, he was a filmmaker. “I’ve always believed storytelling is how we make people feel something and take action,” he told me. “Cybersecurity has all the ingredients of a blockbuster—heroes, high stakes—but it’s still not on most young people’s radar as a career. We joke about ‘making cyber sexy,’ but I mean it. We need to make this industry exciting and aspirational.”

That comment stuck with me. For years I’ve written about the technology of security—new threats, new tools, new AI-driven defenses. But what we rarely stop to acknowledge is the human dimension. Cybersecurity isn’t just code and policy. It’s courage, pressure, and judgment made in milliseconds. It’s a firefighter’s mindset without the sirens.

The Pressure and the Purpose

LeDuc told me the goal of the film was simple: make cybersecurity real for people outside the industry. “If this film helps even one young person see cybersecurity as heroic and meaningful—we’ve done our job,” he said.

The film doesn’t shy away from the cost. CISOs describe constant stress, long hours, and the emotional toll of knowing that success means nothing happens—and failure means public blame. One executive told LeDuc that on weekends she drag races just to release the pressure. It sounds extreme, but it’s the same adrenaline release you see in other first responder roles. You can only live at red alert for so long before you need to hit reset.

The Cold War No One Sees

That sense of strain came up again in my conversation with other experts featured in the film. Dr. Chase Cunningham, a respected voice in cybersecurity and former NSA operator, put it bluntly: “We’ve already had our cyber Pearl Harbor. It just didn’t happen in a single day.”

From hospitals shut down by ransomware to state-sponsored theft of intellectual property, the attacks have become daily background noise. The tragedy is that familiarity breeds complacency. We forget this is still war—it just doesn’t look like one.

LeDuc and co-director Bill Keeler bring together figures such as former CISA Director Jen Easterly and former CIA Director David Petraeus to explore how cyber defense has become the new front line of national security. Easterly notes that cybercrime is projected to cost the world more than $10 trillion annually by the end of 2025—making it, if ranked as an economy, the third largest after the U.S. and China.

Invisible Work, Real Consequences

Having worked in cybersecurity myself, I remember the pressure of that role. If you’re doing your job well, no one notices. When you fail, you’re suddenly everyone’s favorite scapegoat. It’s a thankless job that requires equal parts technical skill and personal grit.

That’s what Midnight in the War Room gets right. It doesn’t glamorize the field—it humanizes it. The film reminds us that cybersecurity professionals aren’t just fixing computers; they’re protecting the digital infrastructure that makes modern life possible.

A Story Worth Telling

It’s easy to be cynical about vendor-backed projects. But this film isn’t marketing—it’s storytelling. Semperis CEO Mickey Bresman gave LeDuc one rule: no product talk. Just truth. The result is honest and emotional—a reminder that behind every alert and firewall are real people making judgment calls in the dark.

Cybersecurity has become the connective tissue of everything we do, yet it’s still invisible to most people until something breaks. This film offers a chance to change that—and to inspire the next generation of defenders who may not yet realize this is their calling.

Midnight in the War Room is expected to premiere in early 2026, and the first trailer is available to view now at semperis.com/midnight-in-the-war-room.