Mr. Robot is one of those quietly understated series that went under the radar: it never received a great deal of fanfare, despite the star-studded cast and critical acclaim. It quietly existed in the shadow of high-budget offerings like Game of Thrones and Stranger Things but did manage to pick up a few prestigious awards during its four seasons on the air.
Now that the series is available on Netflix, more people than ever are discovering just how good Mr. Robot is. It is a highly recommended watch for anyone who enjoys the crime and thriller genres, but particularly so for people interested in cybersecurity.
Mr. Robot Has Been Praised for its Accuracy
Mr. Robot is a highly relevant work of fiction in the modern age, where cybercrime is rife. Rami Malek plays a cybersecurity engineer who is hired by Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) to join a group of hackers on a mission for justice against a big, exploitative corporation. While you don’t need any technical knowledge of computers to be able to enjoy it, the series has been praised by experts in the business for its accuracy.
In real life, hackers use a variety of tools to break down defenses and test out different passwords. This isn’t generally all that difficult, however, due to the fact that many people make it easy for cybercriminals with their adoption of weak passwords. For example, according to research on passwords from ExpressVPN, many people opt for simple passwords like “123456”, or generic and universal words like ‘passwort’ (in Germany) that don’t require much guesswork. The infographic highlights that across cultures, people are prone to setting predictable passwords, which therefore means that their private data is so often easily compromised.
For those who aren’t tech-savvy, Mr. Robot is an accurate introduction to the world of hackers, from the way they operate to the technologies they utilize in order to access confidential information. For instance, in the series, viewers can see the protagonists employing hacking tools like Kali Linux. Real-world cybersecurity experts tested out the software and validated that it was functional and effective.
Incredible Performances from Malek and Slater
Aside from the detailed depiction of the steps that cybercriminals take to break through online defenses, the series was also lauded for the performances of its leads.
After being one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors in the 1990s, Slater took a step back from high-budget films and put more focus on television work. His part as the titular character in Mr. Robot earned him several accolades and is considered his best work on television to date.
Malek used his role as Elliot Alderson to gain widespread recognition as one of the most talented actors in the business. The hacking series was his breakthrough, and he has since gone on to win an Oscar for his part in Bohemian Rhapsody. He was also named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019.
Mr. Robot wrapped after four seasons and 45 episodes, and the critical reception remained strong throughout. Indeed, fans have been desperate for a fifth season, but the showrunners confirmed that it would not be returning.
The series from Sam Esmail is packed full of twists and turns and is known for keeping viewers on their toes. This award-winning offering is well worth a watch for anyone interested in cybersecurity, as it has insights that are hard to find anywhere else.
