03 Sep Hacking Stereotypes: Women In Hollywood Films
This week in cybersecurity from the editors at Cybercrime Magazine
– Read the Full CIO Africa Story
Sausalito, Calif. – Sep. 3, 2024
Only 25 percent of global cybersecurity workers identify as a woman, according to data from Cybersecurity Ventures. CIO Africa reports that in Hollywood films, cultural depictions of cybercriminals and the cybersecurity experts who protect against their attacks tend to exclude women.
“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” showcases the talents of female hackers, even if the portrayal leans on traditional hacker stereotypes. Lisbeth Salander compromises the antagonist’s email encryption and then installs malware, maintaining stealth to avoid detection. With remote control established, she manipulates financial data to reroute funds to accounts under her control.
Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that women will represent 30 percent of the global cybersecurity workforce by 2025, and that will reach 35 percent by 2031.
Hollywood has a powerful influence on how we perceive the world. Showcasing a more diverse range of cybersecurity heroes can inspire a new generation to enter the field, bringing their unique skills and perspectives to this critical line of defense.
The book “Hacker’s Movie Guide: The Complete List of Hacker and Cybersecurity Movies” contains hundreds of flicks from 1954 to present, and many of the movies feature female hackers, including Acid Burn aka Kate Libby, played by Angelina Jolie, in “Hackers,” the popular 1995 crime thriller.
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