Open Sesame: Moving Beyond Frustration in Security Usability & Interface Design

Identification and authentication in computer security systems is burdensome to use mentally and physically — we must remember many complex passwords or we must carry devices in order to maintain access to systems and buildings. Usability security researchers to date mainly frame this issue only in terms of minimizing frustration with these seemingly unavoidable burdens. With this project, we aim to make a paradigm-shifting move in how identification/authentication systems operate by reframing the way we approach their design and evaluation. Our aim is to leapfrog over merely minimizing frustration and land upon maximizing pleasurable experiences. We posit that pleasurable interactions will increase adoption and participation in security systems and maximize their efficacy. Open Sesame will combine two promising areas of technological innovation, behavioral biometrics and movement sensing, to create a new kind of secure system embodied in a doorway entry mechanism that is pleasurable and engaging to use. Open Sesame will identify users at a distance and with a unique gesture allow them to unlock the door of the Game Innovation Lab at NYU-Poly. This project brings together approaches from game design and Human Computer Interaction with the intent of creating momentary experiences that are a satisfying part of one’s daily routine — more like drinking a morning coffee than reciting the quadratic equation.