[AdipexAdipex]

Most depictions of hacking and programming in movies are totally ridiculous. Even aside from the fact that you don't hack into a super-secure system you hadn't encountered before within 2 minutes.

The most commonly used trick in movies is to open up the command prompt and run some basic commands (I often see pings and traceroutes) to get lots of info on the screen. Sometimes they just output pure garbage on the screen, like what you get if you try to view a binary file as text. In reality, if you're looking to crack an executable, you'll probably be looking at its code in a hex editor / debugger but hex code isn't commonly shown on the big screen, neither is assembly or, in fact, any code in a real programming language.

I enjoyed this link which lists a bunch of commonly seen computer inanities in movies/TV.

[illiniastibly]

The Jason movies all had the hacking with a machete thing down pat.

[neotheMit]

If it's just the hacking side, then it'd have to be Wargames.

Wraith
"Remember you told me to tell you when you were acting rudely and insensitively? Remember that? You're doing it right now." -- Jim Sting ("Wargames")

[Arr34ston]

IMO "The Matrix" is about as accurate as it gets when it comes to hacking. *inhales paint thinner*

[puzobok]

I think we're all forgetting a little movie called Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

[frkksptn]

Hackers

ACK!

[Dodoerabe]

No accurate hacking movies out there. WarGames comes closest with actual method of wardialing, which in itself isn't hacking per se, but at least it didn't invent stuff as to what hacking is, with 3D objects flying around and "hack the first module" kind of weird crap.

Or tracing in command prompt.

but sadly I'd say WarGames as well. Sadly, because it might be the closest one. Says a lot about the other movies made.

[autolubitelone]

Originally posted by Ari Rahikkala
You're closer than you think. See http://www.securityfocus.com/news/4831 - they actually use a real network scanner tool in The Matrix Reloaded, and exploit a vulnerability that actually existed. The details are embellished a bit, but it *is* as about as accurate as it gets in any film that I've seen with hacking in it. That has to go up against everything else in the movies.

[Sarah Armstrong]

Originally posted by MarkG
best movie on hacking: swordfish You mean to tell me hacking doesn't involve making the little rubix cube deal thing fit together right?

[PRengine]

Only good thing about Swordfish is you got to see Halle Berry's tits. The rest of that movie was unmemorable for the most part.

[Freedjome]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
Only good thing about Swordfish is you got to see Halle Berry's tits. The rest of that movie was unmemorable for the most part. the explosion at the beginning of the movie, wasn't bad at all!

[griddle]

Independence day

[Darlmtgq]

Sadly Hacking dose not involve involuntary blow jobs (SwordFish)

[DiatryDal]

I believe the word is sadist.

[Thorwaywhobia]

There's John Connor hacking an ATM, and later a security keypad, in Terminator 2.

[cymnPrayerm]

Wargames rules.

[GogaMegaPis]

Just watched "The Core" after reading on Intuitor that it was comically stupid. Hoo boy, was it ever! Ludicrous premise, ludicrous acting, ludicrous special effects. The whole package.

But it did also include a "hacker genius kid" from Carnegie Mellon, presumptively modeled after Kuci, who uses a chewing gum wrapper to make a cell phone get free long distance. I kid you not.

Actually, no, it's possible that the kid was supposed to be just fiddling with the wrapper. I was laughing pretty hard the whole time, so in retrospect I can't be sure what I saw. Gotta be fair.

[Buyingtime]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phreaking

Whistling at a certain frequency triggers certain things on the telco end..

[b91ZmxzX]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Used to. The current systems are not vulnerable to that problem. That is the meaning of the phrase "used to", yes. But it's not as absurd as Elok thinks.

[mashabox]

Originally posted by Elok
What, so I made fun of the one part of the movie that might possibly have sort of worked? Story of my life. It is pretty amusing.