In search of usable security - five lessons from the field

• IEEE Security & Privacy Journal

When we first deployed a Public Key Infrastructure to secure our wireless network, we found users' lack of comprehension of the underlying technology and annoying human-computer interfaces were major sources of user dissatisfaction. Drawing from our experience as a cross-disciplinary team, we then designed and built a system that reduced the time to enroll in the secure wireless network by two orders of magnitude, while obtaining highest marks in usability and user satisfaction. We use this real-world example to lay out five general lessons for usable and secure system design.

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citation

Balfanz, D. ; Durfee, G. E. ; Smetters, D. K. ; Grinter, R. E. In search of usable security - five lessons from the field. IEEE Security & Privacy Journal. 2004 September/October; 2 (5): 19-24.