When Your Friend Thinks You Are a Real Hacker

If you have ever dabbled in cybersecurity, programming, or even just used a terminal in front of a non-tech friend, you’ve probably experienced this moment. The expectation versus reality of hacking is often wildly different, thanks to Hollywood and pop culture.

Picture this: You’re sitting at your desk, peacefully minding your own business, when your friend leans in with that look in their eyes. The one that says, “I have a ridiculous request, but I think you’re actually capable of it.”

“Bro, can you hack into my school’s grading system and change my math grade?”

Sigh. Here we go again.

The Terminal of Disappointment

So, let’s set the scene. You decide to mess with them a little.

You open the terminal with a dramatic flourish.

You type:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

The screen floods with text, scrolling like The Matrix. Green, fast-moving, completely incomprehensible to them. Their eyes widen in excitement.

Friend (whispering): “Bro… are you in?”

You pause for dramatic effect. Look at them. Look at the screen.

“Yes… into a never-ending cycle of software updates.”

The expression on their face changes from awe to confusion. The realization sets in. They expected frantic typing, bypassing firewalls, and decrypting secret government files, but instead, they got… patch management.

Welcome to real cybersecurity.

The Reality of Ethical Hacking

The truth is, hacking is nothing like the movies. Real cybersecurity work is:

• 90% patience (because things rarely work the first time)
• 9% troubleshooting (because things rarely work the second time)
• 1% explaining to your friends why updating software is not hacking the mainframe