Media influences people significantly. Just one powerful piece of media can inspire someone or completely change their worldview. Media also serves as a way for people to learn new things, understand the world better, or explore specific topics. Cybersecurity is no exception. It has been featured in many shows and movies, which can help viewers gain a better understanding of the field. That’s why the accuracy of the scenes from these shows and movies matters.

Half of the media shown in these three videos portrays cybersecurity and hacking as intense, exciting, and overly complex, making it seem like only experts can understand them. In reality, hacking can be exciting, but it isn’t as spectacular as these clips suggest. Some movies, such as Hackers (1995) and The Matrix (1999), were ahead of their time by portraying the hacking experience accurately. Meanwhile, long-running franchises like Star Trek or an MCU movie are either far behind in understanding hacking or create thrilling, but unrealistic hacking scenes. It depends greatly on the scope of the movie, if it’s more down-to-earth or a sci-fi spectacle, but overall, media’s depiction of cybersecurity has improved over time.

To elaborate, older media generally portrayed cybersecurity and hacking more realistically and simply. These movies focused on logical and straightforward depictions of hacking, avoiding unnecessary spectacle. In contrast, modern media usually seeks a balance between entertainment and practicality unless the plot is deeply grounded in reality. As a result, newer hacking scenes often feel exaggerated or illogical. However, as cybersecurity continues to grow, public understanding improves, and this progress may be reflected in future media, producing more accurate scenes.