X

​Christian Slater is on a boat to make HP cybersecurity sexy

I guess they should call him ... Mr. Rowboat.

Claire Reilly Former Principal Video Producer
Claire Reilly was a video host, journalist and producer covering all things space, futurism, science and culture. Whether she's covering breaking news, explaining complex science topics or exploring the weirder sides of tech culture, Claire gets to the heart of why technology matters to everyone. She's been a regular commentator on broadcast news, and in her spare time, she's a cabaret enthusiast, Simpsons aficionado and closet country music lover. She originally hails from Sydney but now calls San Francisco home.
Expertise Space, Futurism, Science and Sci-Tech, Robotics, Tech Culture Credentials
  • Webby Award Winner (Best Video Host, 2021), Webby Nominee (Podcasts, 2021), Gold Telly (Documentary Series, 2021), Silver Telly (Video Writing, 2021), W3 Award (Best Host, 2020), Australian IT Journalism Awards (Best Journalist, Best News Journalist 2017)
Claire Reilly
2 min read
christian-slater-hp-the-wolf.jpg
Enlarge Image
christian-slater-hp-the-wolf.jpg

Christian Slater channels Mr. Robot in "The Wolf" for HP.

HP

When computer giant HP released Season 1 of its cybersecurity-focused web series "The Wolf," I quietly wondered whether we'd reached the zenith of scripted entertainment.

Here was TV's very own Mr. Robot, the star of "Broken Arrow" and "Hot Tub Time Machine 2," waxing lyrical on the importance of securing your office printer.

Christian Slater goes full wolf.

HP

"They've got no idea I used my phone to hack the OS on that printer over there," Christian "The Wolf" Slater snarled from the offices of the fictional Pierce Arthur Monroe Financial. "And why would they? Not one printer in this place has built-in malware protection."

My goodness. You're right! They didn't! But your guidance taught us the error of our ways.

Now, Slater is back for Season 2 of "The Wolf." This time he's on a boat. He's messing with people's e-health records. And he's stealing flowers? Anyway, it premiered at Cannes.

We have a lot of questions. Who keeps letting him into these offices? Why is he so hell-bent on bringing down the world via networked printers? And can anybody actually see him, or is he just some kind of fear amalgam dreamt up by the folks at HP to keep information security officers awake at night?

I won't lie. I love talking about cybersecurity, and I think I love these videos. Either that or they're the weirdest cross promotional tech content since the cast of "Friends" spruiked Windows 95.

Regardless, this will be the best printer PSA or the worst episode of Mr. Robot you've ever seen. Enjoy!

Batteries Not Included: The CNET team reminds us why tech is cool.

CNET Magazine: Check out a sample of the stories in CNET's newsstand edition.