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What Can the FATE Community Learn from the Successes and Failures in Privacy?
From BLOG@CACM

What Can the FATE Community Learn from the Successes and Failures in Privacy?

There are many similarities between FATE (Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, Ethics) and privacy, and I believe that there are a lot of lessons that the FATE...

Using GitHub CoPilot is Like Having a Superpower
From BLOG@CACM

Using GitHub CoPilot is Like Having a Superpower

With the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) and tools like GitHub CoPilot, I think we’re a step closer towards a world where software can be created by anyone...

Is the Trolley Problem ­Useful for Studying Autonomous Vehicles?
From BLOG@CACM

Is the Trolley Problem ­Useful for Studying Autonomous Vehicles?

Does the trolley problem offer any useful insights for autonomous vehicles, in terms of design of or public policy around these systems? Here are several reasons...

Why is Privacy So Hard?
From BLOG@CACM

Why is Privacy So Hard?

Why is privacy so hard? Why is it, after so much negative press about it, are we still being constantly tracked on the web and on our smartphones? Why is it, after...

The Emerging Technology Landscape in China
From BLOG@CACM

The Emerging Technology Landscape in China

Observations about the emerging technology landscape in China, looking at mobile social networking, mobile payments, taxi hailing, and same or next day delivery...

Human Subjects Research For the Twenty-First Century, Or, What Can We Learn from the Facebook Mood Study?
From BLOG@CACM

Human Subjects Research For the Twenty-First Century, Or, What Can We Learn from the Facebook Mood Study?

There is tremendous value to society in doing large-scale A/B studies, and the current framework we have for human subjects research is a poor match for the 21st...

Privacy and Google Glass
From BLOG@CACM

Privacy and Google Glass

Why has there been so much negative sentiment about Google Glass in the press regarding privacy? This article looks at privacy from two different perspectives,...

Reaching For Engelbart's Vision of the Future
From BLOG@CACM

Reaching For Engelbart's Vision of the Future

 A meditation on Douglas Engelbart's impact on interactive computing.

Most Smartphone Apps Are Spyware
From BLOG@CACM

Most Smartphone Apps Are Spyware

Why does  this flashlight app use an Internet connection? Why does this Bible quotes app want my location data? Why does this game want my contacts list?

Is the Computer Security Community Barking ­Up the Wrong Trees?
From BLOG@CACM

Is the Computer Security Community Barking ­Up the Wrong Trees?

There's a big mismatch right now between what the data says about computer security vulnerabilities and what kind of research is being done and products offered...

Password Policies Are Getting Out of Control
From BLOG@CACM

Password Policies Are Getting Out of Control

 At least 9 characters long. No repeated characters. At least 1 number, 1 special character, and 1 capital letter. Cannot be same as last 10 passwords. Must change...

Why Have There Been So Many Security Breaches Recently?
From BLOG@CACM

Why Have There Been So Many Security Breaches Recently?

We're only five months into this year, but there have been a large number of sensational security breaches. Why have there been so many, and what can we do about...

Design, Functionality, and Diffusion of Innovations
From BLOG@CACM

Design, Functionality, and Diffusion of Innovations

What's the relationship between functionality and design? What kinds of factors influence whether people do or don't adopt a technology?

Why Is Great Design So Hard (Part Two)?
From BLOG@CACM

Why Is Great Design So Hard (Part Two)?

Previously, I asked the question of why great design is so hard to integrate in organizations. In this article, I take a look at how Apple does design, and what...

Why Is Great Design So Hard?
From BLOG@CACM

Why Is Great Design So Hard?

Why is good design so hard to accomplish for organizations? People are coming to the realization that design really matters, but it's not that they don't want to...

Malvertisements Growing as Online Security Threat
From BLOG@CACM

Malvertisements Growing as Online Security Threat

Malvertisements are attempts to inject malware and scareware into advertisements, leveraging the reach that advertising networks have. This blog entry examines...

Designing Effective Warnings
From BLOG@CACM

Designing Effective Warnings

Computer security warnings are something we all see everyday, but many people find them annoying and ignore them. What are better ways of designing warnings?

Designing Effective Interfaces For ­Usable Privacy and Security
From BLOG@CACM

Designing Effective Interfaces For ­Usable Privacy and Security

I often cringe when I hear highly technical engineers talk about people. I usually hear broad generalizations tossed about, like "people are lazy, that's why they...

Helping Younger People Protect Themselves from Security Attacks
From BLOG@CACM

Helping Younger People Protect Themselves from Security Attacks

One potentially disturbing trend that came out in a recent eCrime meeting is that younger people 18-24 years old seem to be more susceptible to phishing attacks...

Designing Effective Security Warnings
From BLOG@CACM

Designing Effective Security Warnings

How do we create effective security warnings that people don't just swat away? Here, I report on one line of research that examines this question.
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