Reflections on U-PriSM 2: The Second Workshop on Usable Privacy and Security for Mobile Devices

The Second Usable Privacy and Security for Mobile Devices Workshop (U-PriSM 2) was co-located with MobileHCI'13 in Munich, Germany. The U-PriSM 2 was an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to discuss research challenges and experiences around the usable privacy and security of mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). Security and privacy often involve having non-security experts, or even novice users, regularly making important decisions while their main focus is on other primary tasks. This is especially true for mobile devices where users can quickly and easily install apps, where user interfaces are minimal due to space constraints, and where users are often distracted by their environment. Likewise, mobile devices present unique privacy and security risks because they allow third-party applications access to personal information and sensor data. The amount and sensitivity of such personally identifying information is likely to increase as device functionality increases. The convergence of these factors means that improvements to security and privacy provisions on mobile devices are becoming increasingly important. Workshop participants had a chance to explore mobile device usage and the unique usable security and privacy challenges that arise, discuss proposed systems and ideas that address these needs, and work towards the development of design principles to inform future development in the area.