As technology has become an integral part of our lives, movies and TV shows have started featuring computers, software, and phones for dramatic purposes. They showcase hackers breaking into systems in seconds. This has led many to question whether these portrayals are actually accurate or not.
This is not to say that the tech they use in video is not great. The special effects are beyond belief in most cases. However, their representations of how things actually work in the systems, not so much.
The answer is that the majority of the time, the way computers, software, and phones are depicted in movies and TV shows is far from accurate. These representations are often over-dramatized and unrealistic. Most prioritize entertainment over accuracy. While there can be some similarities to real-life processes, their portrayal is not a correct reflection of how things work in real life.
One feature in movies and TV shows that jars me the most is the depiction of hackers being able to break into systems in mere seconds by effortlessly cracking passwords. No matter whether they use brains or devices, the reality is quite different. To hack a password, it often requires advanced knowledge, major technical skills, and a lot of time and patience. That is to say not seconds but maybe as long as years. Password cracking is not something that can be done instantly or easily.
In reality, getting into the computer itself, the lock screen password unless easily guessable, or known ahead of time, would be insurmountable in the few seconds shown. Passwords should never be your pets’ names, your dates of birth, marriage, when you started work, your mother’s maiden name, your SSN, or any other easy to come by information.
The other thing that gets me is when the actor goes to a computer, and it is wide open with no password or screen lock enabled. In the workforce this would be about unheard of. And for you users at home, this should also be a no-no. Talk to any criminal you know. I would imagine anyone who worked for them and did not lock up their devices would be sleeping with the fishes. Use a good password and lock your PC when you walk away from it. The Windows key plus the “L” key are all you need to press as you get up to lock it.
Next on my list of video problems is the genius of the person getting into someone else’s system. Let us pretend they do have the password, which is unlikely. Then they could not possibly get to the folder or information they need in a couple of mouse clicks, especially, if it is volatile information needed by the “hacker.” If they had secret evidence which they did not want released to anyone else, it would be buried somewhere deep in the system. Then, most likely that folder, file, or picture would be encrypted. Or at a minimum, it would be protected with an even more secure password than it took to get into the computer.
It is important to remember that not everything you see on TV and in movies is real when it comes to computers, software, hacking, the ability to get a figure print ID in seconds, get DNA in a couple of minutes, etc. For instance, my brother retired from NCIS and his son currently works for the FBI. They love the shows, but state emphatically that even some of the basics of those shows are not even close to true. They are, however a great way to watch criminal procedural drama.
