Identifying and Addressing Usability Vulnerabilities
summary
Defines a “usability vulnerability” as a design flaw that predictably causes unsafe actions and presents a reproducible heuristic framework with three pillars—cognitive, inclusive, technical—plus specific heuristics like reconstruct failure states. Shows concrete fixes: SecureDrop deletion UI moved from indiscriminate red alerts to a two-option model with detailed scope and a yellow warning then red final action; Qubes OS settings reflowed, hover-only help removed, WCAG AA compliance added. Framework is beta-tested on these projects and integrated into threat-modeling and triage processes.
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chapters (6)
- 0:00Introduction to usability vulnerabilities
- 3:58Usability vulnerability framework pillars
- 6:07Case study SecureDrop deletion process
- 15:50Qubes OS settings redesign
- 18:20Framework development and future plans
- 21:07Q&A session begins
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