17-334 / 17-734 / 5-436 / 5-836 / 19-534 / 19-734 Usable Privacy and Security

[This course has been previously offered as 08-534/08-734]

There is growing recognition that technology alone will not provide all of the solutions to security and privacy problems. Human factors play an essential role in these areas, and it is important for security and privacy experts to have an understanding of how people will interact with the systems they develop. This course is designed to introduce students to a variety of usability and user-interface problems related to privacy and security and to give them experience in understanding and designing studies aimed at helping to evaluate usability issues in security and privacy systems. The course is suitable both for students interested in privacy and security who would like to learn more about usability, as well as for students interested in usability who would like to learn more about security and privacy. Students will also work on a group project throughout the semester.

The course is open to all students who have technical backgrounds. The 12-unit course numbers (17-734, 5-836, 19-734) are for PhD students and masters students. Students enrolled in these course numbers will have extended homework assignments and will be expected to play a leadership role in a group project that produces a paper suitable for publication. The 9-unit 500-level course numbers (17-334, 5-436, 19-534) are for juniors, seniors, and masters students.

Spring 2023 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2022 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2021 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2020 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2019 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2018 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2017 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2016 (Lujo Bauer and Nicolas Christin)

Spring 2015 (Lorrie Cranor and Blase Ur)

Spring 2014 (Lorrie Cranor and Blase Ur)

Fall 2011 (Lorrie Cranor)

Fall 2009 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2008 (Lorrie Cranor)

Spring 2007 (Lorrie Cranor and Jason Hong)

Spring 2006 (Lorrie Cranor, Michael Reiter, and Jason Hong)