Security, Privacy and Usability – A Survey of Users’ Perceptions and Attitudes

Users are now in possession of an ever-growing number of advance digital devices with a wide range of capabilities which are used for accessing, storing and processing enormous information. A significant proportion of it is often considered sensitive and confidential. Accordingly, each device has its own associated security requirements and configurations. This paper presents the survey results of 302 digital device users, which aimed at exploring their technology usage and security practices, and at investigating their perceptions and satisfaction of associated current and alternative authentication approaches alongside their usability. Furthermore, it sought to analyse users’ awareness and attitudes towards related privacy issues. It is revealed that an inconsistency between users’ perceptions and real practices exists. Despite the widespread interest in more security, there is a quite low number of respondents using or maintaining the available security measures. However, it is apparent that users do not avoid applying the concept of authentication security but avoid the inconvenience of its current common techniques (biometrics are having growing practical interest). The respondents’ perceptions towards Trusted Third-Party (TTP) enable utilising biometrics for a novel authentication solution managed by a TTP working on multi devices to access multi services. However, it must be developed and implemented considerately.