A hacker at the computer. Photo: still from the TV show “Mr. Robot”
For decades, movies and TV shows have drawn inspiration from the world of computers, but cinema often sacrifices truth for the sake of a spectacular story. From WarGames in 1983 to Mr. Robot and A Murder at the End of the World, screens are filled with either glorified or demonized hackers whose capabilities are often exaggerated.
SlashGear discusses five myths that are typically portrayed in movies.
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Hacking doesn’t happen instantly
In movies, an attacker breaks through defenses in a matter of seconds to the sound of fast techno beats. In reality, however, it’s a painstaking process of trial and error. Hackers spend hours looking for weaknesses in algorithms or code. Therefore, the scene in The Matrix where Neo takes a nap while the script runs in the background is closer to reality than the lightning-fast hack in Hackers.
Pop-ups and 3D graphics are fiction
To illustrate the tension, the directors fill the screen with colorful panels and pop-ups. As noted by the famous hacker and entrepreneur Sammy Kamkar, most of the time, you only see monochrome text and lines of code — no “dancing” windows or humorous cat videos.
The simplest attacks are often the most successful
Hollywood loves to depict sophisticated algorithms hacking into government servers or banks. In real life, however, more and more attackers are opting for social engineering, which involves psychological manipulation to gain access to a system. While not as spectacular, it’s effective. After receiving a phishing email or having a conversation with technical support, a hacker can gain access from the inside and install a backdoor unnoticed.
Frantic printing doesn’t make hacking faster
In NCIS, the heroes sometimes type together, but real hackers need precision and focus. One wrong character can cause an entire attack to fail, so superfast typing actually reduces the chances of success.
Not all hacking is clandestine or illegal
Films like Hacker mostly depict black hackers who operate outside the law. But alongside them are “white hats”, who are specialists that legally test systems for vulnerabilities and help businesses and government agencies close security gaps. However, Hollywood is more interested in the dark side; hacker antiheroes provide drama and adrenaline.
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