After Hours

Photos: Our 10 favorite stereotypical hacker stock photos

By · February 25, 2016, 1:47 PM PST · erincarson

Image 1 of 10

  • 1. Hacker in action

    A personal favorite trope of hacker stock photos is the dark void inside of a hoodie. They all look like the wraiths from Lord of the Rings, but with Mark Zuckerberg's fashion sense.

    Image: iStock/tiero

  • 2. Professional anonymous hacker with laptop

    This is my all-time favorite hacker stock photo. It takes the theme anonymity to an entirely new level. A body suit, hat, sunglasses—and I always wonder if his badge says hacker on it.

    ​Image: iStock/endopack

  • 3. Mad hacker

    This hacker is actually willing to show his face. How brazen. And, in case you didn't realize what was going on, "hacked" is spelled out on one of this two laptops.

    ​Image: iStock/ajfilgud

  • 4. Hacker attack

    This photo is basically a two-for. This unsavory character is labeled as a hacker, but the eyepatch and ruffled shirt clearly point to him being a pirate. Your MacBook won't stand a chance.

    Image: iStock/giocalde

  • 5. Comic masked man spying data from smartphone of teenager

    The youth is at risk!

    Image: iStock/BrilliantEye

  • 6. Internet crime and electronic banking security

    A common visual metaphor for hacking and security breaches is the gloved hand of a cybercriminal reaching through the screen of a laptop.

    Image: iStock/BrianAJackson

  • 7. Man wearing mask stealing data on laptop computer

    This guy is actually suspended from the ceiling a la Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible.

    Image: iStock/Techin24

  • 8. Hacker working on a laptop

    Clearly, crime pays well enough that this guy could afford a nice suit.

    Image: iStock/ Ljupco

  • 9. Digital criminal hacker with computer lock in cyber crime concept

    Unlocked or broken locks are a staple of hacker stock photos.

    Image: iStock/OcusFocus

  • 10. Hacker virus

    The lesson here is that doom awaits those who do not take proper precautions in defending their data.

    Image: lolloj

1. Hacker in action

A personal favorite trope of hacker stock photos is the dark void inside of a hoodie. They all look like the wraiths from Lord of the Rings, but with Mark Zuckerberg's fashion sense.

Image: iStock/tiero

Related Topics:
After Hours Innovation Hardware Tech & Work

By Erin Carson

Erin Carson is a Staff Reporter for CNET and a former Multimedia Editor for TechRepublic.

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