Sociotechnical Security

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Human factors ranging from individual human behavior through societal structures both impact and are impacted by digital security and privacy. In this course, you will learn about the role of human factors in the efficacy of security and privacy systems, including identifying common failure patterns. You will also investigate how digital systems can impact the human experience of safety. That is, how digital systems can threaten or enhance individual and societal-level security and privacy. We will explore a range of topics including authentication, access control, mental models of encryption and anonymity, security warnings, spam, reidentification of individuals from public data, online hate and harassment, and digitally-facilitated intimate partner violence. You will learn and apply human-centered and measurement research methods in the context of security and privacy including qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys, usability testing, internet measurement, and statistical data analysis.