If you know me, you know I’ve been a little obsessed with web addresses ever since I spent two years studying how people just don’t understand URLs, as part of my dissertation. I wrote an article on how UX designers’ choice over a decade ago to start hiding and…

I’ll be teaching Technology and Culture this fall in the anthropology department at Teachers College, Columbia University, where I did my doctoral work and where I follow in the footsteps of anthropology pioneer Margaret Mead as well as sex therapist (and Holocaust survivor, former sniper, and all-around badass) “Dr. Ruth”…

Make Your Passwords Stronger — I originally wrote this security advice piece for Tactical Tech’s Data Detox Kit; it’s adapted here with permission and thanks. Do you find yourself reusing the same password for all or most of your online accounts? Because strong passwords can be so hard to memorize, you may tend to reuse…

I originally wrote this security advice piece for Tactical Tech’s Data Detox Kit; it’s adapted here with permission and thanks. Although it may seem like taking care of your digital life is something that only happens online — in your email, the cloud, or a cell phone tower someplace —…

In 2016, I wrapped up a study of people’s conceptions of how email works, with the assistance of Renee Hobbs, Arne Renkema-Padmos, and Blue Ridge Labs. While I have previously spoken informally about the findings of this study, due to editorial logistics and time constraints I was unable to release…

This article was originally published on the ThoughtWorks Insights blog. When I talk to people about how to protect themselves against security problems, often the first feeling they express is guilt or shame. That’s what I heard from my friend Lindsay the other day when I exclaimed to my old…

The release of the OWASP Top Ten digital security threats gives us a moment to consider: What can designers and other UX folks do to support security? — This article was originally published on thoughtworks.com. Human error is one of the toughest things to guard against when planning digital security. It’s the single biggest attack surface in digital systems. And yet, security and user-experience (UX) design are generally not considered in tandem — in fact, security and usability…

On the human-factors side of the infosec community, we are at the mercy of those more technical than…

Activity: “Lean”-style workshop to develop a more usable new interface for an open-source distributed file-sharing system. Takeaways: Refine background materials thoroughly for short events. Talk about conflicting assumptions to make progress. Working with open-source secure tools developers, I have had few opportunities to bring design and user needs to early…