usable security

How Cryptocurrency Users Survive the Cryptojungle

How Cryptocurrency Users Survive the Cryptojungle

Cryptocurrency markets have grown substantially in recent years, and have attracted new users and investors, pushing the overall number of owners into the millions. At the same time, the number of distinct cryptocurrencies has exploded to over 5,000. In this burgeoning and chaotic “cryptojungle,” new and unexplored incentives and risks drive the behavior of users […]

Household Users’ Security and Privacy Concerns about Shared Smart Speakers

Household Users’ Security and Privacy Concerns about Shared Smart Speakers

With the rapid adoption of smart speakers in people’s homes, there is a corresponding increase in users’ privacy and security concerns. In contrast to previous studies of users’ concerns about smart speakers’ divulging private information to their manufacturers, we conducted a study to investigate users’ concerns with regard to housemates and external entities. To illustrate, […]

Smartphone Users’ Family, Friends, and Other Enemies

Smartphone Users’ Family, Friends, and Other Enemies

The number of smartphone users worldwide was expected to surpass 2 billion in 2016. To protect personal and other sensitive information from unauthorized access, some smartphone users lock their phones. Yet, others don’t, risking the data and online services accessible through their devices. The risks emanate from both device thieves and those whobelong to the users’ […]

Predicting Smartphone Users’ Permission Decisions

Predicting Smartphone Users’ Permission Decisions

Current smartphone operating systems regulate application permissions by prompting users on an ask-on-first-use basis. Prior research has shown that this method is ineffective because it fails to account for context: the circumstances under which an application first requests access to data may be vastly different than the circumstances under which it subsequently requests access.

“I Don’t Use Apple Pay Because It’s Less Secure …”

“I Don’t Use Apple Pay Because It’s Less Secure …”

This paper reports on why people use, not use, or have stopped using mobile tap-and-pay in stores. The results of our online survey with 349 Apple Pay and 511 Android Pay participants suggest that the top reason for using mobile tap-and-pay is usability. Surprisingly, for nonusers of Apple Pay, security was their biggest concern.