NCIS – Famously dubbed “2 idiots 1 keyboard,” this is the most absurd and incorrect portrayal of computer usage, let alone hacking, that I’ve ever seen. Two agents furiously type on one keyboard at the same time in order to combat a hacker who’s overtaking the system – all while flashy snippets of graphics and code strobe the screen.

Hackers – This is probably one of the worst offenders when it comes to using video game graphics to represent hacking. We fly through 3D visualisations of data and encounter a singing virus that screams for help when it’s being attacked.

GoldenEye – Again, Alan Cumming’s screen looks like a video game here. He uses a single command “send spike” and that’s all it takes to break into a computer system.

Jurassic Park – In the midst of a velociraptor attack, Ariana Richards sits down at a computer and says, “It’s a Unix system. I know this.” Then she somehow hacks the entire Jurassic Park security system in a matter of seconds and takes control of the automatic doors. This scene is filled with tension, but what she does is analogous to someone loading a browser on a Macbook and then saying, “It’s Safari. I know this,” and then going on to compromise someone’s Gmail account in a couple seconds. While most people troll this scene for its usage of 3D graphics on screen, she’s actually using a real 3D filesystem called FSN.

Why does Hollywood get hacking so wrong?

There’s an easy explanation for this trend. Most writers, directors, and producers believe that it’s impossible to portray real hacking on screen and still have it be entertaining. (That’s why you see the cheesy game-like graphics, skulls, and expository messages on screen.) I couldn’t disagree more with this mindset.

If a scene needs flashy or inaccurate graphics on a computer in order to increase the drama or explain a plot point, there’s an issue with the writing. On Mr Robot, we work hard to ensure that the stakes of the scene and the character motivations are clear even if you have no idea how the technology works. If you do understand the technology, you have the added bonus of recognising real vulnerabilities, real desktop environments, and authentic dialogue that fits the context of the hack.

A perfect example of this is the beginning of Episode Four in Season One, when Elliot explains his plan to hack into Steel Mountain. A layperson watching that scene understands that they need to break in somewhere and destroy some data – it will be risky, but it’s necessary. A hacker watching that scene will recognise Elliot’s accurate use of a Raspberry Pi and his plan to destroy the data sitting on archived LTO tapes by exploiting the HVAC system.