What would really happen if we were hit by a complete ‘Leave the World Behind’ tech wipeout?

An alert on your phone, local officials issuing orders for evacuation, and the army on the streets to protect food supplies? Chris Stokel-Walker looks at how prepared (and safe) we would be in the UK under a major cyberattack – and whether it would be anything like the new Julia Roberts Netflix movie

Total disaster: Mahershala Ali, Myha’la, Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke in ‘Leave the World Behind’ (Netflix)

Power outages and internet disruptions are on the minds of many at the moment, including deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, who recently made the case for us to all think about how prepared we are for prolonged disruption during a cyberattack. No wonder then that the new Netflix hit Leave the World Behind has become its No 1 film as we ponder the stark, post-apocalyptic depiction of the immediate aftermath of an attack and ask ourselves, would it really happen like that?

In the movie, the first time anyone notices that something is wrong is when they discover their mobile phone coverage is out, and their wifi disappears, but it takes a push notification on their TV screens for the characters to learn that an attack has been launched.

In reality, the emergency alert system, tested this April, would be used in the UK. This would mean our phones would buzz, and we would receive advice and instructions if needed on what to do in the event of a large-scale attack or extreme weather event – whether that would be to stay indoors or evacuate to a place of safety.