Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
How diverging forces combine to help pull apart a hopefully secure online business. Recent trends in information security research emphasise how human behaviour can influence the effectiveness of technical solutions. In the past technologists frequently blamed users for security failures due to their illogical behaviour in dealing with technology. For example, browser popups which interrupt users to present technical details of certificate rule violations are known to be widely ignored. Today it is acknowledged that design of security systems must take into account psychological, economic and social factors.
This Honours project will investigate the connection between user interfaces and user behaviour in the context of Internet banking. A survey of security mechanisms employed by different banks will be conducted. Particular security devices such as soft keyboards, CAPTCHAs and security tokens will be compared both in terms of their influence on human behaviour and their effect on authentication protocols in use by different banks. Depending on the student's skills and preferences, the project can either focus on how to use insights from psychology to influence technical design of authentication protocols, or focus on understanding how humans behave when using particular existing security interfaces.
Some background in security is essential. A student with an interest in cryptology will be well placed to examine technical aspects of the project.
- Study level
- Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
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Please contact the supervisor.
Professor Colin Boyd
