Why Johnny Can't Encrypt: A Usability Evaluation of PGP 5.0

Why Johnny Can't Encrypt: A Usability Evaluation of PGP 5.0 (1999)

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by Alma Whitten , J. D. Tygar

Venue:	In Proceedings of the 8th USENIX Security Symposium
Citations:	469 - 4 self

BibTeX

@INPROCEEDINGS{Whitten99whyjohnny,
    author = {Alma Whitten and J. D. Tygar},
    title = {Why Johnny Can't Encrypt: A Usability Evaluation of PGP 5.0},
    booktitle = {In Proceedings of the 8th USENIX Security Symposium},
    year = {1999}
}

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Abstract

User errors cause or contribute to most computer security failures, yet user interfaces for security still tend to be clumsy, confusing, or near-nonexistent. Is this simply due to a failure to apply standard user interface design techniques to security? We argue that, on the contrary, effective security requires a different usability standard, and that it will not be achieved through the user interface design techniques appropriate to other types of consumer software. To test this hypothesis, we performed a case study of a security program which does have a good user interface by general standards: PGP 5.0. Our case study used a cognitive walkthrough analysis together with a laboratory user test to evaluate whether PGP 5.0 can be successfully used by cryptography novices to achieve effective electronic mail security. The analysis found a number of user interface design flaws that may contribute to security failures, and the user test demonstrated that when our test participants were g...

Keyphrases

usability evaluation case study laboratory user test security failure cognitive walkthrough analysis user interface design technique user interface security program effective electronic mail security effective security user test good user interface user interface design flaw standard user interface design technique computer security failure user error consumer software cryptography novice different usability standard test participant general standard