Broadly, we study the intersection of computer security and privacy with human factors. We are particularly interested in investigating end users, administrators, developers and designers of computer systems and their interdependencies with computer security and privacy mechanisms.
Our research involves large-scale analyses of the Internet and software repositories to understand the huge challenges humans face when interacting with computer security and privacy mechanisms.
To understand root causes, evaluate existing mechanisms and investigate novel ideas, we conduct all kinds of user studies with end users, administrators, and developers of these systems.
Recent News
We are delighted to announce that Heather Crawford will give a talk here at LUH. The talk will cover the current research in usable privacy, including introducing concepts such as privacy fatigue, the privacy paradox, and future areas of work in usable privacy.
When & Where:
Talk cancelled due to hurricane Dorian!
Tuesday, 2019-03-03, starting at 18:00- Room 1101.003.A320, Welfengarten 1
Short Bio:
Heather Crawford is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering and Sciences at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, USA. Dr. Crawford has conducted research in the areas of usable authentication on mobile and wearable devices. Her main research interests remain in the usable security and privacy field, with a focus on their applicability to IoT. Dr. Crawford also conducts research in the security of Quantum Computing. Dr. Crawford has won several Teaching Excellence Awards at Florida Tech, and enjoys teaching a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses.
We are offering a lecture and a seminar this winter semester:
- The Foundations of IT Security lecture for bachelor students covering foundational topics in IT Security. Exercises cover topics introduced during the lecture from a more practical point-of-view (often involving written Python code). Highly recommended if you plan to take any further courses with us.
- A Human Factors in Cybersecurity seminar for master students. We will dive into the research of the last decade in Usable Security and Privacy and get to know the process of publishing a scientific paper. Simulating a computer science conference’s publishing process, you will critically read and review papers, give short presentations, and discuss the papers with your fellow students. Highly recommended if you plan on joining academia.
Application deadlines for the summer job postings have passed. If you are interested in possible future openings, feel free to contact Prof. Fahl.
We are delighted to announce that Adam Aviv will give a talk here at LUH.
Abstract:
Mobile authentication is a crucial component of authentication more broadly, especially as mobile devices become evermore connected to the broader computer security ecosystem. The overarching goal of my research is to improve the current state of mobile authentication by taking a holistic approach to measuring mobile authentication and its impacts that intersect directly with the user experience. In this talk, I will present a narrative of contributions to mobile authentication over the last 10 years, focusing on how human factors impact the security, from attacks, choices, and perceptions. I will particularly focus on one form of mobile authentication, Android’s graphical pattern unlock, which may be the most heavily used graphical authentication system, ever. Based on my experience, I will also present some new directions and methods that can improve the security of mobile authentication that take the user more fully into account.
When & Where:
- 2019-05-31, starting at 13:00
- Room H121, Welfengarten 1
Short Bio:
Adam J. Aviv is an Asst. Prof. of Computer Science at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He received his Ph.D. and M.S.E. from the University of Pennsylvania in Computer and Information Science, and received his B.S.E from Columbia University in New York City. His research interests are in computer security, with a focus on mobile authentication, usable security and privacy, applied cryptography, and network security.
Our office is under new leadership by Ms. Griga. Starting this week, our office is open Monday to Friday from 9:00-11:00 (Welfengarten 1, A418)