Practical Course Usable Security
Lecturer: Prof. Florian Alt
Persons in Charge: Doruntina Murtezaj, Dr. Viktorija Paneva
Hours per week: 4
ECTS credits: 6 (MSc)
Module: Modul: Vertiefende Themen: P 1, P 2, WP 9, WP 12, WP 15, WP 26, WP 27 (MA INF PStO 2022); P 1, P 3, P 5, WP 3, WP 9 (MA MI PStO 2022); P 6, P 9, WP 3, WP 6 (MA MCI PStO 2022);
WP 48, WP 51, WP 52 (BA INF PStO 2022); WP 26, WP 29, WP 30 (BA MI PStO 2022)
Moodle Key: usec2025
Topic
Designing Interactive Public Security User Interfaces for Promoting Secure Behavior
Syllabus
The rapid development of digital technologies and the increasing threat to cybersecurity have led to a growing need for innovative security solutions in public spaces.
One example of user interfaces that can enhance security behavior is Public Security User Interfaces. These are interfaces positioned in shared, non-personal spaces that provide information or interactions on security-related topics. These interfaces play a crucial role in delivering security information, improving situational awareness, and promoting secure behavior.
The main objective of this course is to explore the design, implementation, and impact of user interfaces that enhance security behavior to facilitate the transition of users from cybersecurity awareness to the habituation of secure practices.
Description
The objective of this course is to learn how systems can be designed for different contexts that are secure, privacy-preserving and usable at the same time.
The course consists of two parts: in a theoretical part, participants will be introduced to different topics of usable security and privacy, including an overview of security-behavior enhancing user interfaces.
The practical part will then focus on user-centered design techniques that allow for creating novel public security user interfaces. In small groups, participants will initially create concepts for novel interfaces and mechanisms. In the following, participants will then build prototypes and evaluate these in user studies regarding security and usability.
Schedule
- Dates: Tuesday, 14-16 c.t.
- Location: Frauenlobstr. 7A, Room 257
| Date | Task |
|---|---|
| 06.05.2025 | Introduction & Research Examples |
| 13.05.2025 | Individual Concept Pitches (90 seconds) + Forming Groups |
| 20.05.2025 | Concept Presentations in Teams (Slides, Timeline) |
| 03.06.2025 | Prototype Presentation (Slides) |
| 17.06.2025 | Intermediate Presentation 1 (Slides, Implementation) |
| 01.07.2025 | Intermediate Presentation 2 (Slides, Implementation) |
| 15.07.2025 | Final Presentations (Slides, Demo) |
| 30.07.2025 | Written Report |
Grading
The grade is based on a presentation and a written paper.
- The presentation must last 10-20 minutes.
- The paper must contain 20,000 - 30,000 characters using the LaTex template
Registration
Interested students can apply for this practical course via the central registration process. Details on this will be published via institute's communication channels. Signing up for this course directly is not possible.
