USABLE SECURITY AND PRIVACY
Examines how to design systems and interfaces for security and privacy from a user-centered perspective. Understand how core security and privacy technologies are designed for users, as well as Human Computer Interaction (HCI) techniques for conducting robust user studies to evaluate and improve those designs. Critically examine interfaces for usable authentication, user-centered web security, privacy notices, phishing, and security warnings in domains ranging from mobile devices to social media to Internet of Things to Artificial Intelligence.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Junior standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Social & Behavioral Science Breadth - Social Science Level - Advanced L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the design constraints (both usability and security) that underlie modern human-facing cybersecurity technologies. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Identify properties of humans, rooted in social sciences, that impact the design of cybersecurity technologies. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Apply basic user research and user experience methods to design novel cybersecurity systems. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Apply basic user research and user experience methods to design novel cybersecurity communications. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe design ideas clearly and effectively. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Evaluate published research on usable security designs. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the design constraints (both usability and security) that underlie modern human-facing cybersecurity technologies. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Identify properties of humans, rooted in social sciences, that impact the design of cybersecurity technologies. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Apply basic user research and user experience methods to design novel cybersecurity systems. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Apply basic user research and user experience methods to design novel cybersecurity communications. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe design ideas clearly and effectively. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Evaluate published research on usable security designs. Audience: Graduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027