SecureUse: Balancing security and usability within system design

Abstract

The interdependency of information security and usability has been evident for several years, yet this area is largely under-represented within the Literature. Consequently, no standards yet exist that address the balance between security and usability within system design. To address this gap in knowledge, the authors propose a method that can be used by experts in information security, experts in usability, and by representative users to quickly assess the security and usability of a system. From this assessment, a single metric, known as a SecureUse score, would be derived, which will help to ensure that future systems are both secure and usable.