SPIRL
Hi! Welcome to the Security and Privacy Interactions Research Lab (SPIRL) at Carleton University. At SPIRL, we conduct research in usable security: the intersection of computer security and human-computer interaction (HCI). In general, we are interested in how security technologies can be designed to take into account users’ abilities and limitations, and how we can more effectively protect users while asking them to do less. Our research interests include passwords and authentication (graphical passwords, password managers, password coping strategies), culture and security, and computer security education, among others!
SPIRL is directed by Elizabeth Stobert, assistant professor in the School of Computer Science and co-director of the HCI Masters program at Carleton University. We are always looking for talented students who would like to do research in the area of HCI and security. Please feel free to get in touch if you’re interested in working with us!
news
Oct 5, 2024 | Ruchi succesfully defended her HCI master thesis “Investigating socially supported technical assistance for older adults” this morning! Congratulations, Ruchi! |
Sep 3, 2024 | Paola successfully defended her HCI Master Thesis “Older Adults’ Security and Privacy Practices in Online Dating” and will be starting her Ph.D in Computer Science. Congratulations, Paola! |
May 3, 2024 | At CISPA, Elizabeth delivered a fascinating research talk on “Culture, Identity, and Password Sharing”. She discussed a few studies examining how password-sharing behaviors tie into cultural identity. |
Apr 1, 2024 | Paola was awarded a doctoral OGS scholarship. Congratulations, Paola! |
Jan 22, 2024 | Paola and Sarah were selected to participate in the HC2P Cybersecurity Summer School, which will be held in Ottawa and Montreal in June. They will work on technical reports about human-centric cybersecurity within themes such as artificial inteligence and misinformation </a> |
Jan 22, 2024 | Elizabeth has had a paper, A Comparative Long-Term Study of Fallback Authentication Schemes, conditionally accepted to CHI 2024 with collaborators at Ruhr-University Bochum and CISPA. |
Jan 18, 2024 | Aniqa passed her comprehensive exams. Congratulations Aniqa! |
Jan 16, 2024 | Paola has had her paper “I’m not planning on dying any time soon”: A survey of digital legacy planning” accepted to the HCI International 2024, which will be held in Washington DC next July. |
Sep 22, 2023 | Paola and Ruchi presented their short paper “Contextualizing Privacy for Older Adults in Canada” at the 5th Annual Symposium on Applications of Contextual Integrity, hosted at York University in Toronto, ON. |
May 1, 2023 | Paola was awarded a NSERC CGS-M scholarship. Congratulations Paola! |
Feb 15, 2023 | Ruchi was awarded the Dick Dillon Memorial Scholarship. Congratulations, Ruchi! |
Dec 21, 2022 | Aniqa Alam has had her paper “This is different from the Western world”: Understanding Password Sharing Among Young Bangladeshis accepted at USEC 2023, which will be held in San Diego in February. |
Dec 20, 2022 | Paola Marmorato was selected to attend the CRA-WP grad cohort for women in San Francisco in April. |
Jul 18, 2022 | As of July 2022, Elizabeth Stobert and Sonia Chiasson have become the program co-directors for the HCI masters program at Carleton. |
May 5, 2020 | WAY 2020 will once again be taking place alongside SOUPS 2018 this summer! We hope you’ll consider submitting. CFP and details available at wayworkshop.org. |
Mar 2, 2020 | Please consider submitting to NSPW 2020, taking place in New Hampshire in October. This year’s theme is “automated reasoning for security”. |
Jan 20, 2019 | NSPW 2019 will be in San Carlos, Costa Rica this September. Please consider submitting - NSPW is always seeking innovative security work, and this year’s theme is “Social manipulation through technology”. CFP and more details available here. |
Apr 2, 2018 | WAY 2018 will be taking place as part of SOUPS 2018 this summer! We hope you’ll consider submitting. More details coming soon. |