How Accurate Is the Hacking in Mr. Robot?

What comes to mind when many of us think of hacking is surely much different than what the process actually looks like in real life. Many TV series and feature films make hacking look like a magic trick that can instantaneously grant anyone with a computer keyboard unfettered access to any financial institution, government organization, or other website of interest. It’s no great secret that movies and TV series sometimes prioritize narrative flow over accuracy and that’s something we accept as the price of admission. With that said, not all films and series take such creative license when it comes to the onscreen depiction of computer hackers. So, we are looking back on the beloved USA series Mr. Robot to see how accurate the program really is with its depictions of hacking throughout.

Via this fact-finding mission, we will give you an unvarnished assessment regarding which elements of Mr. Robot are rooted in fact and which are slightly less accurate.

How Accurate Is the Hacking We See in Mr. Robot?

The interesting thing about Mr. Robot is that it doesn’t fall into many of the common pitfalls that have led to a collective cultural misunderstanding of how hacking works. The show features techniques and processes that are largely accurate according to series creator  Sam Esmail, who once landed on academic probation for hacking as a college student. During production, Esmail had a stable of cyber security experts on hand to ensure that the writers didn’t provide a reductive view of what hacking actually looks like.

One of the things people don’t realise about the hacks on the show is I actually do them,” Mr. Robot tech consultant Marc Rogers explained to Wired in 2016. “When you see a hack take place on the screen I will have built that hack at home.”

[RELATED- Mr. Robot Star Jokingly Takes Blame for Twitter Hack]

The Wired piece referenced above also profiles hacker-turned-writer Kor Adana. Adana was largely responsible for keeping the show grounded and gently shutting down ideas that deviated too far from reality.

Usually I need to be the bad guy that says, ‘No, that’s not possible, we have to do it this way,’” Adana told Wired.

It seems that a lot of films and series with less accurate depictions are lacking the checks and balances that Mr. Robot so painstakingly featured during its run on the USA network.

Though Mr. Robot Is Largely Accurate, There are Still Some Elements That Are Simplified for TV

As accurate as Mr. Robot is, it’s important to note that there is still some television magic at play. For instance, the series shows a small core group of people pulling off hacks that would take far more manpower and many more hours to execute than the program seemingly suggests. With that said, we can allow some leeway considering precious few films and television series pay as much mind to overall accuracy as Mr. Robot.

Mr. Robot follows Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek), a cybersecurity engineer who begins moonlighting as a hacker for a powerful group of vigilantes with designs on taking down the corporations they believe rule our country. Elliot’s day job and his new extracurricular endeavors quickly find him at war with himself, leaving him questioning where his true loyalties lie. The show concluded in 2019 after four iconic seasons and remains a stellar example of quality small-screen programming.

In short, Mr. Robot features surprisingly accurate hacking techniques, with the only real liberties taken pertaining to the manpower and time required to pull off such impressive feats.

What do you think about the portrayals of hacking in Mr. Robot? Step right up to the comments section below and let us know!

If you’re keen to experience the series or pay a repeat visit, you can do just that via Tubi at present.