Continue reading the main storyProfessional hackers work to keep people safe by finding security vulnerabilities before criminals do. The way that hackers are depicted in Hollywood and by the security industry itself have contributed to the word “hacker” becoming synonymous with “criminal.” Hackers are often portrayed as hooded figures in dark rooms who are engaged in illegal activity while jabbing at keyboards and are almost always male. In recent years, television shows like “Mr. Robot” and movies like “Ocean’s 8” have introduced female characters as hackers, but the male hacker stereotype unfortunately prevails.The stereotypes don’t apply to most hackers in the security profession. Someone who engages in the illegal use of hacking should not be called a “bad hacker” but a “cybercriminal,” “threat actor” or “cyberattacker." Hackers are people like me and my team at IBM — security professionals who are searching for vulnerabilities, hoping to find weak links in our computer systems before criminals can exploit them.
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