Understanding why some network protocols are user-unfriendly

Abstract

Some are wondering whether due to the appearance of spy-ware, insecure wireless LAN, the increase in spam, the persistence of computer viruses and worms, home users may renounce on PCs. They state, for example, that setting up a secure wireless LAN is not trivial for many users, or that users are unaware since the default comes without security. Anderson gave an economic reason why Microsoft gave information security a low priority. In this paper we analyze some scenarios where users want userfriendly security and setting it up is far from trivial. We try to find technical reasons and folklore scientific explanations why some security problems have either not been taken into account, or why, when they have, they are not doing the best job, or why they are so user-unfriendly. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.