Be Wary of Media's Portrayal of Hacking

There have been a significant amount of discussions in the media about the effect that movies and television have had on society. More often than not, the media that is produced is a result of the ebbs and flows that occur in society, which ironically makes the whole notion that television and movies affect society a fascinating contradiction. The absurd portrayal of criminality in media is one problem that is massively debated by lawmakers and sociologists.

The art of hacking is one crime that has been incorrectly portrayed over and over again. This is not very shocking as hacking is a clandestine effort that would be in reality remarkably unexciting and monotonous. However, that’s not to say that media doesn’t have an effect on how people view hackers. The more absurd content creators make depictions of hacking and hackers out to be in TV and movies, the less people actually consider that they are, in fact, the people being targeted.

Real hacking consists of more research and scheming than quick-paced, against-the-clock typing in flashing boxes on a screen. The computer itself usually does the heavy lifting, as special software is utilized to penetrate places by trying different options millions of times. Automation, unless it is undertaken by an eight-foot robot with laser guns or results in complete disaster, is far from cinematic.

Most individuals still don’t know what it takes to hack. All they know is that there are “hackers” out there in Russia or China looking to pilfer their credit card numbers and it is up to people smarter and more capable than them to protect them. That type of Superman view of hacking is exactly why there are so many people that fall victim to them each year.

The truth is that everyone need to know how to protect themselves from hackers.

Macro Systems can help. If you and your staff need help sorting fact from fiction, or if you want your whole team to know exactly what you need to do (and what not to do) to secure you and your company’s resources, call us today at 703-359-9211.