Research

The list below is not exhaustive but reflects some of the ongoing work in the lab.

Usable Security Projects

User Perceptions of Drones, Privacy, and Security: In this project, we are studying the user perceptions of privacy and security issues around personal drones.

Kids and Internet Safety: In this project, we are studying how elementary school aged kids perceive Internet security and how to use this knowledge to make interface enhancements that will help parents, kids, and teachers keep kids safe on their mobile devices.

Users and Software Updates: In this project, we are studying how and why people patch their software on mobile and desktop devices. Our aim is to improve the updating experience on all devices.

Users and Privacy Enhancing Technologies: In this study, we are investigating how and why people use privacy enhancing tools (PETS) such as browser extensions such as Privacy Badger, Ad Block, and Ghostery. Our goal is to improve the design of these PETS for protecting user privacy and security all round.

Tor and Onion Links: We are studying how users of the Tor – the tool that lets you browse the web anonymously manage onion links. Our goal is to create tools to help users more easily navigate the dark web whilst maintaining their privacy and security.

Human-Computer Interaction for Development Projects

Zero-rated Services in Resource-Constrained Settings: How do users get online using “free” or zero-rated Internet services? In this study, we are examining the use of Free Basics in South Africa to better understand the impact of “free” Internet services. Our goal is to see how the design of such services shapes Internet usage.