Towards usable Web privacy and security

ABSTRACT

Internet users now rely on a whole arsenal of tools to protect their security and privacy. Experts recommend that computer users install personal firewalls, anti-virus software, spyware blockers, spam filters, cookie managers, and a variety of other tools to keep themselves safe. Users are told to pick hard-to-guess passwords, use a different password at every Web site, and not to write any of their passwords down. They are told to read privacy policies before providing personal information to Web sites, look for lock icons before typing in a credit card number, refrain from opening email attachments from people they don't know, and even to think twice about opening email attachments from people they do know. With so many do's and don'ts, it is not surprising that much of this advice is ignored. In this talk I will highlight usability problems that make it difficult for people to protect their privacy and security on the Web, and I will discuss a number of approaches to addressing these problems.