EAGER

Given the pervasion of consumer devices in diverse operating environments, with a myriad of heterogeneous device resources and applications, designers can no longer pre-define optimization goals (e.g., maximum performance, minimum energy, Pareto optimal tradeoff, etc.) given extremely diverse end-user quality-of-experience (QoE) expectations (e.g., expected user-touch input response time, global positioning system (GPS) accuracy, video playback quality, battery life, etc.).

Engineering a secure IT system, in addition to technical skills, requires a particular mindset focused on using cybersecurity solutions effectively against sophisticated and stealthy cyber attacks. The traditional lecture-centric style of teaching has failed to deliver that mindset, which is the direct result of an over-emphasis on specific technical skills (with limited lifespan and insufficient technical depth), abstract rather than deeply technical examination of fundamental concepts, and an impatience in developing broader analytical skills.

The design of social media interfaces greatly shapes how much, and when, people decide to reveal private information. For example, a designer can highlight a new system feature (e.g., your travel history displayed on a map) and show which friends are using this new addition. By making it seem as if sharing is the norm -- after all, your friends are doing it -- the designer signals to the end-user that he can and should participate and share information.

The protection of cyber-physical critical infrastructures such as the power grid, water distribution networks, and transportation networks against computer attacks is a matter of national security, public safety, and economic stability; however, most of these critical assets are owned and operated by private companies with pressing operational requirements, tight security budgets, and aversion to regulatory oversight. As a result it is not clear that market incentives alone will create enough momentum to improve the security posture of these systems.

Usability is widely recognized as important to the design of security and privacy systems. Despite this, very few of the lessons learned through usable security and privacy research are taught to students as part of a security or computing curriculum. There are few educational materials, no consensus as to the knowledge units and learning objectives, and little research on how to best integrate usable security concepts into security curricula.