Drawing the Picture of Cybersecurity with Midjourney and ChatGPT

Cybersecurity is a complex field encompassing a multitude of concepts, technologies, and practices designed to protect networks, devices, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. But how can we visualize this intricate world? To answer this question, I embarked on a unique journey with two AI companions: OpenAI’s language model, ChatGPT, and the creative AI, Midjourney.

Ensar Seker
4 min readJul 22, 2023
The first thing that comes to Midjourney’s mind when I say cybersecurity.

The Experiment

The experiment was simple yet intriguing. I asked ChatGPT to provide the first ten words that came to its mind when I said “cybersecurity.” Then, I turned to Midjourney, asking it to draw a picture for each word, using the prompt, “Draw me a picture that comes to your mind when I say…”. The goal was to create a visual representation of cybersecurity, a picture painted by the combined intelligence of two AI systems.

The Journey:

  1. The first word ChatGPT provided was “Encryption.” Encryption is a fundamental concept in cybersecurity, used to protect sensitive data by converting it into an unreadable format. When I asked Midjourney to visualize this, it created an image of ladies with mobile phones and laptops connected securely, I guess.
Encryption

2. Next came “Firewall.” A firewall acts as a barrier between a trusted network and an untrusted one. Midjourney’s interpretation was a wall of fire, a vivid representation of the protective barrier a firewall provides.

Firewall

3. “Malware” was the third word. It refers to malicious software designed to cause harm to a system. Midjourney drew a picture of skulls, bones, and monsters encapsulating the destructive nature of malware.

Malware

4. The fourth word was “Authentication.” This is the process of verifying the identity of a user. Midjourney’s picture was of beautiful ladies with some sort of authentication process or wires :)

Authentication

5. “Phishing” was next. It’s a method used by cybercriminals to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information. Midjourney drew a fishing hook, symbolizing the deceptive nature of phishing attacks and lots of actual fishes :).

Phishing

6. The sixth word was “VPN” (Virtual Private Network). A VPN provides a secure connection over the internet. Midjourney’s interpretation was a tunnel, representing the secure pathway a VPN creates.

VPN

7. “Password” was the seventh word. It’s a secret word or phrase used to gain admission to a system. Midjourney drew hairclips. I have no clue why.

Password

8. The eighth word was “Hacker.” Hackers are individuals who exploit weaknesses in a system. Midjourney drew figures with hoodies, representing the clandestine nature of hackers. It created stereotypes.

Hacker

9. “Data Breach” was next. This is an incident where information is accessed without authorization. Midjourney drew sad and/or desperate people, symbolizing the breach of protection.

Data Breach

10. The final word was “Antivirus.” This is software used to prevent, detect, and remove malware. Midjourney drew some sort of creatures, I guess, viruses.

Antivirus

11. The final prompt and final creation. The drawing of cybersecurity by Midjourney. Prompt: Draw me the first things that come to your mind when I say cybersecurity by considering the following words; encryption, firewall malware, authentication, phishing, VPN, password, hacker, data breach, and antivirus.

The final picture of cybersecurity by Midjourney

This experiment was a fascinating exploration of the intersection between artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. It demonstrated how AI can help us understand and visualize complex concepts. The ten images created by Midjourney, guided by the words provided by ChatGPT, offer a unique perspective on cybersecurity. They serve as a reminder that while the world of cybersecurity can be complex and intimidating, it can also be broken down into understandable and even visual components. This is the picture of cybersecurity as painted by AI.

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