Usable Cybersecurity: a Contradiction in Terms?

Abstract

Encounters and interactions with cybersecurity are now regular and routine experiences for information technology users across a variety of devices, systems and services. Unfortunately, however, despite long-term recognition of the importance of usability in the technology context, the user experience of cybersecurity and privacy is by no means guaranteed to address this criterion. This paper presents an outline of usability issues and challenges in the cybersecurity context, with examples of how it has (or indeed has not) evolved in some established contexts (looking in particular at web browsing and user authentication), as well as consideration of the extent to which any better attention is apparent within more recent and emerging technology contexts (considering the presentation of related features in scenarios including app stores and smart devices). Based on the evidence, cybersecurity is clearly yet to reach a stage where its mention would naturally imply usability, but at the same time the two concepts do not have to represent a contradiction in terms. The resulting requirement is for the increasing recognition of the issue to translate into a greater level of resulting attention and action.