Aufgabenstellung / Topic

Many digital systems require users to perform security-related tasks such as updating passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, or installing security updates. These actions are often prompted through notifications or pop-ups. However, users frequently ignore or postpone such prompts because they appear at inconvenient moments, interrupt ongoing tasks, or require effort that users are not willing to invest at that time. Understanding when users are most receptive to security prompts is therefore crucial for designing effective and usable security interventions. In this thesis, you will investigate how the timing and context of security notifications influence whether users follow recommended security actions. To study this, you will develop a browser extension that detects situations where users could perform security-related tasks (e.g., addressing breached passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, installing updates). Using an experience sampling approach, the extension will send notifications suggesting security actions and record whether and when users act upon them. The goal is to identify patterns in user behavior and determine which moments are most suitable for different types of security tasks.

You will:

• Review literature on usable security, security behavior, and interruption timing
• Design an experience sampling study to investigate opportune moments for security interventions
• Develop a browser extension that can trigger security-related prompts
• Conduct a user study collecting real-world interaction data
• Analyze how contextual factors (e.g., time, activity, task urgency) influence user responses
• Derive recommendations for designing more effective security prompts
• (Optional) contribute to a research publication

You need:

• Interest in usable security and human-centered computing
• Interest in empirical research and user studies
• Programming experience (e.g., JavaScript, Python, or similar)
• Basic knowledge of data analysis
• Motivation to work with scientific literature