In action and spy movies, we often see the hero or his sidekick hacking into the enemy\’s computer. Or vice versa, the villain may attack the computer of, for example, a government organization.
However, no matter which side is involved, these scenes are always essentially the same. The hacker types on a keyboard for a while and soon gains access to someone else\’s data, or a program runs on the screen that reveals the access password.
This leads to the idea that this is a very exciting activity and can be performed by virtually anyone with sufficient technical knowledge. And while the latter may be true, hacking is actually not that easy or fun.
First, the computer must be accessed. This is usually done by a fraudulent email with an attachment that installs a virus on the device that allows remote access. Of course, this assumes that the device is connected to the Internet.
Another way to break into someone else\’s computer is to use one of the remote communication programs such as TeamViewer. In this case, however, the victim must first be convinced to install and connect to it. This is usually done by using a fake pop-up claiming that there is a virus on the computer and that they need to call a specified Microsoft support number. In reality, however, this number is a scammer\’s number, convincing you to give them access in this way.
Getting the password is not that easy either. Sure, there are programs that can crack passwords, but they only apply to very simple approaches that no site uses today. Many banks, for example, use what is called two-factor authentication, where you have to enter both a password and a code, which is sent to your phone. 59]
So, as with everything else, hacking is depicted in movies mainly for effect and not realism. And that is certainly not all.
