We are excited to announce that we have received two NSF grants supporting our research.
The first grant, “SaTC: CORE: Small: Identifying and Quantifying Design Principles For Improving Password Manager Usage,” supports our research into helping users make better use of the security-critical functionality found in password managers. In particular, this grant looks to improve the utility and usability of generated passwords and password health checks. It also supports research into designing password managers to support the co-management of passwords by parents and children.
The second grant, “CAREER: Identifying, quantifying, and explaining design principles and user practices that enable effective long-term key management,” is the first step in our efforts towards addressing the grand challenge of key management. In this research, we are seeking to understand what designs have allowed for the successful (though rare) adoption of software that relies on key management. It also engages undergraduate and K–12 students with this important topic leveraging age-appropriate curriculum and experential learning.