Generously funded by Craig Newmark Philanthropies
Online harassment, data misuse, deepfakes, and targeted abuse disproportionately silence women, girls, and marginalized communities — undermining their representation and equity. It is important to care about how cybersecurity is portrayed on screen because media representations shape whom audiences see as protectors — and whom they see as threats — in the digital world. These portrayals can affect how audiences react in similar real-life situations.
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Narrative Opportunities
The Geena Davis Institute‘s goal with this initiative is to partner with studios to support thoughtful cybersecurity-related storytelling. On-screen portrayals can encourage audiences to take digital harm seriously and support a media landscape that drives positive change for all communities.
When depicting cybersecurity careers on screen:
- Diversify cybersecurity storytelling to include a wider range of genders — both among on-screen professionals and those impacted by cyber threats.
- Reflect the diversity of skills within cybersecurity, broadening depictions beyond hyper-technical, adversarial, or coding-centric work.
- Connect cybersecurity work to how it impacts humans, for example: protecting people, communities, or institutions.
When telling stories about cyber scams and frauds:
- Portray cybersecurity as shaped by everyday behaviors — not only by experts, hackers, or catastrophic breaches.
- Depict individuals as capable of learning and improving cyber habits, rather than as careless, foolish, or inherently bad at technology.
- Emphasize prevention and decision-making over crisis response, showing that small choices — such as pausing, checking, updating, asking — matter. See guidance from Take9.org.
When telling stories about digital abuse:
- Ensure the narrative approach is trauma informed, taking steps to minimize harm and avoid retraumatizing victims/survivors.
- Avoid portraying victims as naive or reckless.
- Center the survivor’s experience and agency.
Explore our guides for crafting narratives that drive awareness and have an impact on topics such as phishing, deepfakes, non-consensual intimate imagery, and cybersecurity careers.
As these guides are intended as starting points for responsible storytelling, we encourage content creators to consult directly with experts and, when relevant, engage survivors from the outset with care, support, and fair compensation.
Lastly, be sure to incorporate topic-specific information for your audience about relevant helplines and support services.
Match with an Expert
Are you looking for expert support to help with cybersecurity-related storytelling? The Geena Davis Institute is a proud member of the Cyber Education Alliance and the Take9 campaign, two coalitions of organizations committed to the goal of promoting cybersecurity awareness and digital safety. Share a few details about your needs, and we will put you in touch with an expert who can best guide your work. Get in touch.
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Whether you’re seeking practical guidance on digital personal safety or looking for support for parents navigating their children’s online lives, let us know. We can explore your needs and help connect you with appropriate options. Get in touch.
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