Security as if People Mattered

Computer security and usability are challenging problems that are often interrelated. In harmonizing security and usability, it isn't enough to consider how human factors can be leveraged in support of security. Instead, it's important to take a user-centered perspective, and consider how best to support people in attaining their goals when they use computer systems. This article approaches this problem by highlighting some of the psychological factors and human values that must be considered when creating effective security solutions.