Usable Security: A Systematic Literature Review
Usable security involves designing security measures that accommodate users’ needs and behaviors. Balancing usability and security poses challenges: the more secure the systems, the less usable they will be. On the contrary, more usable systems will be less secure. Numerous studies have addressed th...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Information |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/14/12/641 |
| _version_ | 1827574531708944384 |
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| author | Francesco Di Nocera Giorgia Tempestini Matteo Orsini |
| author_facet | Francesco Di Nocera Giorgia Tempestini Matteo Orsini |
| author_sort | Francesco Di Nocera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Usable security involves designing security measures that accommodate users’ needs and behaviors. Balancing usability and security poses challenges: the more secure the systems, the less usable they will be. On the contrary, more usable systems will be less secure. Numerous studies have addressed this balance. These studies, spanning psychology and computer science/engineering, contribute diverse perspectives, necessitating a systematic review to understand strategies and findings in this area. This systematic literature review examined articles on usable security from 2005 to 2022. A total of 55 research studies were selected after evaluation. The studies have been broadly categorized into four main clusters, each addressing different aspects: (1) usability of authentication methods, (2) helping security developers improve usability, (3) design strategies for influencing user security behavior, and (4) formal models for usable security evaluation. Based on this review, we report that the field’s current state reveals a certain immaturity, with studies tending toward system comparisons rather than establishing robust design guidelines based on a thorough analysis of user behavior. A common theoretical and methodological background is one of the main areas for improvement in this area of research. Moreover, the absence of requirements for Usable security in almost all development contexts greatly discourages implementing good practices since the earlier stages of development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:40:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-12f5bfffebd343dea57bf62bb968fc37 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2078-2489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:40:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Information |
| spelling | doaj.art-12f5bfffebd343dea57bf62bb968fc372023-12-22T14:15:52ZengMDPI AGInformation2078-24892023-11-01141264110.3390/info14120641Usable Security: A Systematic Literature ReviewFrancesco Di Nocera0Giorgia Tempestini1Matteo Orsini2Department of Planning, Design, and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, 00196 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Planning, Design, and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, 00196 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Planning, Design, and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, 00196 Rome, ItalyUsable security involves designing security measures that accommodate users’ needs and behaviors. Balancing usability and security poses challenges: the more secure the systems, the less usable they will be. On the contrary, more usable systems will be less secure. Numerous studies have addressed this balance. These studies, spanning psychology and computer science/engineering, contribute diverse perspectives, necessitating a systematic review to understand strategies and findings in this area. This systematic literature review examined articles on usable security from 2005 to 2022. A total of 55 research studies were selected after evaluation. The studies have been broadly categorized into four main clusters, each addressing different aspects: (1) usability of authentication methods, (2) helping security developers improve usability, (3) design strategies for influencing user security behavior, and (4) formal models for usable security evaluation. Based on this review, we report that the field’s current state reveals a certain immaturity, with studies tending toward system comparisons rather than establishing robust design guidelines based on a thorough analysis of user behavior. A common theoretical and methodological background is one of the main areas for improvement in this area of research. Moreover, the absence of requirements for Usable security in almost all development contexts greatly discourages implementing good practices since the earlier stages of development.https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/14/12/641usable securityusabilitysecuritycybersecuritycyber-securityauthentication |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Di Nocera Giorgia Tempestini Matteo Orsini Usable Security: A Systematic Literature Review Information usable security usability security cybersecurity cyber-security authentication |
| title | Usable Security: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_full | Usable Security: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_fullStr | Usable Security: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Usable Security: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_short | Usable Security: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_sort | usable security a systematic literature review |
| topic | usable security usability security cybersecurity cyber-security authentication |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/14/12/641 |
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