A History of Hacking and its Representation in the Media

To most people, the word hacking conjures up a particular image. However, hacking itself goes back a lot further than a hooded youth with 3 monitors and a can of monster. From trying to start World War 3 by whistling down the phone, to teaching your children's toys to swear like a docker, hacking has a long history of strange people doing hilariously dangerous things for profit, effect or just for the fun of it. And this contrast of the farcical and serious has been equally well represented in the media: sometimes accurately, sometimes...less accurately. In this episode, we explore the seedy, caffeine-fuelled underbelly of historical hacking, and how it's been represented in Films, TV and Video Games.