Welcome to the fifth volume of the EA Forums Online Security Newsletter!
Welcome to all our readers - whether you're a long-time subscriber or joining us for the first time—for the latest edition of our newsletter! This month, we invite you to engage in a conversation about security, our featured topic, and much more. Each edition is an opportunity to share your security tips, experiences, or insights with us.
In last month’s edition, we explored the critical topic of safe online transactions. With the summer promotions season fast approaching, now is the perfect time to refresh your knowledge or check out our tips if you haven’t already.
We also introduced the latest updates to EA’s flagship anti-cheat system, EA Javelin. If you’re unfamiliar with EA Javelin, we encourage you to revisit last month’s newsletter to learn more.
This month, we’re exploring the fascinating topic of passwords from a psychological perspective. Why do we choose certain passwords over others? What motivates our choices? And what strategies can help you create strong, secure passwords?
You’ll find answers to these questions and more in the Security Focus section.
As always, your participation in the newsletter—whether through comments, quizzes, or sharing your experiences—earns you a participation token: a unique badge on the forum. Don’t miss out!
We would also like to highlight recent software blocks in EA Javelin. AntiCheatWard from EA's anti-cheat team shared that the Disc-Soft block was implemented due to cheat-like scripts circulating in the ReWASD community, which automate actions like recoil control and skill-based challenges in games. While EA Javelin Anticheat supports legitimate remapping tools like Steam Input and Microsoft's Keyboard Manager, Disc-Soft's attempts to bypass anti-cheat checks and its tolerance of these scripts led to blocking their virtual hardware and drivers. We encourage you to uninstall the software and provide feedback to the vendor, with hopes that changes in their practices could allow for more targeted blocks in the future. You'll find the link to the full article in the InfoHub Section.
Stay safe!
The Psychology of Password Creation
In today's digital age, passwords are crucial for safeguarding our personal and professional information. Yet many people struggle with creating and remembering secure passwords. This challenge is deeply rooted in human psychology and impacts how we choose and manage our passwords.
- Cognitive Load and Memory
It is human nature to simplify complex tasks, which leads to choosing passwords that are easy to remember. As a result, simple choices can be made, such as using sequential numbers, common words, or birthdays. These elements reduce cognitive load, but at the same time, they compromise security.
- Familiarity Bias
People tend to choose passwords that are familiar or meaningful to them. It can be the names of loved ones, favourite sports teams, or phrases that are familiar to you. While these choices make passwords easier to remember, they also make them easier to guess.
- Risk Perception
Many users underestimate the risk of cyber threats, believing that they are unlikely targets. This perception leads to less rigorous password practices, such as using the same password across multiple accounts or opting for simple, easily cracked passwords.
- The Role of Emotion
Emotional attachment can play a significant role in password creation. People often choose passwords that evoke positive feelings or memories, which makes them easier to recall. However, emotional passwords can be predictable for anyone familiar with the user.
- Social Influence
Social factors, such as advice from friends or media, can impact password choices. Recommendations to use complex passwords might be acknowledged but not always implemented due to the inconvenience of remembering them.
Strategies for Improvement
- Use Passphrases
Combining unrelated words into a passphrase increases complexity while remaining memorable.
- Leverage Mnemonics
Creating a mnemonic device can help recall complex passwords.
- Employ Password Managers
These tools reduce the burden of remembering multiple passwords while ensuring they are strong and unique.
- Periodic Password Updates
Changing passwords can mitigate risks associated with compromised credentials. But don't make it a burden, as accourding to NIST research over complicating the password changing process might have opposite effect.
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