"Hacking into the mainframe" is a term that suggests the enemy has gained complete access to our computer system packed with lots of important, valuable information and capabilities.

What happens when someone hacks into the mainframe? Think lots of beeping sounds and colorful lights, endless unlabeled buttons, and tech mutterings of “firewalls,” “software,” “interfaces,” “access codes,” “databases,” and “servers.”  It puts us on a level of threat as if someone has erased the entire Internet or is taking over the world.

Take a fun blast to the past and check out Hollywood's interpretation of Hacking Into the Mainframe:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcywf9mwF5U]

We’re all aware enough of computer securities to know that hacking is a gravely dangerous thing, but are these situations real and can they happen to us? Yes and no.

Mainframes have been around since the 1950s as “a big computer” used for processing large amounts of commercial data efficiently and securely-- a major priority with so much valuable information at stake. Contrary to Hollywood and Slackstory’s Ode to Movie Mainframes video, mainframes have the highest server security built into every aspect and require more identity authentication than just the stroke of a keyboard.

In fact, there has never been a report of a single mainframe being hacked or infected by a virus, according to Janet L. Sun of Share, Inc. who represents a community of over 20,000 individuals at 2,000 companies. She believes mainframes are the most secure computing platform on the planet.

Mainframes today can still fill an entire warehouse, cost millions and support thousands, but they can also support two users and run on a laptop. So who's been "Hacking the Mainframe?" Seems only Hollywood is to blame.