Password Depiction in Movies - A Subtitle-Based Analysis of Security Practices

Explore a research presentation from SOUPS 2024 that analyzes how passwords and password security are portrayed in movies through a comprehensive subtitle-based study spanning over 97,000 films from 1960 to 2022. Discover findings about how media representation influences public perception of cybersecurity, including observations that movies often depict weak, easily-guessable passwords and present unrealistic portrayals of password hacking. Learn about the research team's mixed-methods analysis of password-related scenes from 2,851 movies, revealing concerning trends such as the overestimation of password guessing success rates and the notable absence of modern security best practices like password managers and multi-factor authentication. Gain insights into how these media depictions may impact general understanding and attitudes toward password security among non-expert users.