The Effect of Entertainment Media on Mental Models of Computer Security

Explore the impact of entertainment media on people's mental models of computer security in this 21-minute conference talk from USENIX SOUPS 2019. Discover how fictional portrayals in television and film shape users' understanding of cybersecurity threats and defenses. Learn about common misconceptions aligned with fictional tropes, and examine the proxies people use to evaluate realism in media depictions. Gain insights from a semi-structured interview study investigating what users learn about computer security from mass media. Consider recommendations for security researchers and content creators on improving public understanding of computer security concepts and behaviors.

Intro
How do people make security relevant decisions?
Research questions
Do people really learn security concepts from fictional media?
What are people learning from fictional media?
Attacks and unsafe situations are obvious
Encryption is fragile and all security measures are futile
Unplugging the computer and other simple solutions
Suspicious emails can be dangerous
How do people evaluate realism?
Technical knowledge
Non-technical background
Compliance with existing folk models
Cinematic aspects
Recommendations