Check out the award-winning works in the first stock photography contest about hackers

Cyber ​​security has always been a hot topic in our digital age. But the way it is portrayed in the media, especially with the use of outdated stock images, makes every attempt unnecessarily complicated, and sometimes a bit ridiculous.

Last year, the William and Flora Foundation and OpenIDEO launched an international competition to address the shortage of clear, captivating, portrayal images for articles on the topic. In a competition called the Cybersecurity Visuals Challenge, participants will have to design a series of new images of hackers - of course, not with the clumsy hoodie shirts that people imagine - for organizations The press and related individuals are free to use it when necessary.

A few days ago, the top five winning works were announced, with artists and designers from India, Mexico, Australia, and the United States.

" The challenge we face online today to keep networks and devices secure is too complex, cannot be illustrated by a shady character wearing a hoodie plugging his face into a laptop. "- Eli Sugarman, Program Manager at Hewlett Foundation in charge of Cyber ​​Initiative, said in the announcement. " Sophisticated organizations are attacking the safety of the Internet, and we believe the images created by artists will help policymakers and the public increase their understanding of these issues."

The picture above of Abraham Pena depicts the Phishing attack technique: he uses the same synonyms when describing "hacker" as sharks are playing with a light user.

Meanwhile, Afsal CMK describes "coding" with bright, colorful lines. Claudio Rousselon's fairly detailed ink pen turns network alliances into beautiful blocks. The battlefield via Ivana Troselj's pen is like a bird " accidentally hatching a grenade in its nest," and Mariah Jochai's lettering shows that hacker threats can be removed. lurking in front of our eyes.

These creative drawings depict the ways of simplifying pitfalls in a technology-dependent world, making it more accessible to the public. Because digital privacy is a complex aspect of culture, it is extremely necessary for the mass community to grasp the importance of creating a digital security perspective. Today, websites and platforms still rely on outdated stock images and incorrectly portray hackers as those who play tricks to illustrate security concerns that are threatening both large organizations and citizens in society. The various designs that are licensed for free in this competition will help change that.

" We are delighted by the passionate community of cybersecurity professionals and graphic designers who have joined this global appeal and spent their time and skills together to accomplish it. This important work "- Jason Rissman, managing director at OpenIDEO, said in a speech.

Of course, every competition has a prize. Each person receives $ 7,000 each month (and all 23 finalists get $ 500 / person).

Invite you to admire the following award winning works:

The work of Abraham Joel Pena Puleo

Afsal Cmk

Works of Claudio Rousselon

The work of Ivana Troselj

The work of Mariah Jochai

Reference: FastCompany