Date: November 16th 2009

Title: Browser Interfaces and Extended Validation SSL Certificates

Date: Tuesday Nov. 17, 2009
Time: 6:00pm
Place: TheCodeFactory, 246 Queen St., Ottawa

Abstract
Secure socket layer (SSL) certificates have been deployed to provide security for web-based transactions, which allow information to be transmitted securely as well as provide information about the party a user is transacting with. There has been a loss of confidence in the security provided by SSL certificates and browser interfaces in the face of various attacks. As one response, Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificates have been proposed, which are intended to restore confidence among users that a website operator is legitimate. Unfortunately, EV SSL certificates may complicate the already difficult design challenge of effectively conveying certificate information to the average user. This talk describes a user study that explored the interfaces related to SSL certificates in the most widely deployed browser (Internet Explorer 7), proposed an alternative set of interface dialogs, and compared their effectiveness through a user study involving 40 participants. The alternat
ive interface was found to offer statistically significant improvements in confidence, ease of finding information, and ease of understanding. Such results from a modest re-design effort suggest considerable room for improvement in the user interfaces of browsers today. This work motivates further study of whether EV SSL certificates offer a robust foundation for improving Internet trust, or a further compromise to usable security for ordinary users.

Biography
Tara Whalen is a post-doctoral research associate at Carleton University, who received her PhD in the human factors of security in 2008 at Dalhousie University. She previously worked in network security at the Communications Research Centre Canada. Her current research interests include usable security, privacy, and the social implications of technology.

When and Where:

This event will take place on Tuesday Nov. 17, 6:00pm at TheCodeFactory, located at 246 Queen Street, between Bank and Kent, (on the second floor) above the Green Papaya Restaurant.

Note: there is no cost for attending this event and prior registration is not required. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. An informal social gathering will follow at a nearby pub.