Publikations-Information

Download

Felix Dietz, Peter Heubl, Luke Haliburton, David Bothe, Jan HÃ¶rnemann, Angela M. Sasse, Florian Alt
A Platform for Physiological and Behavioral Security
In NSPW '25: Proceedings of the New Security Paradigms Workshop. January 01, 2026. Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA. (bib)

Human-centered security research traditionally leverages self-reports and high-level behavioral data. However, the increasing ubiquity of sensors integrated into personal, wearable devices (e.g., smartphones, smartwatches) and in usersâ environments (e.g., cameras) enables researchers to unobtrusively collect rich physiological and behavioral signals. These real-time data streams can reveal user statesâsuch as attention or workloadâthat can be employed to design adaptive security mechanisms. In this paper, we present a platform that supports designing, building, and evaluating next-generation user interfaces that leverage physiological and behavioral data for enhanced security. First, we introduce the physio-behavioral security paradigm, highlighting how sensor-based insights into user states can inform individualized security interventions and accurately identify moments of vulnerability. We then outline the requirements, system architecture, and implementation details of the platform, illustrating how multiple data streams (e.g., gaze, heart rate, keystrokes, mouse movements) are integrated and securely processed. Finally, we report on an exploratory deployment in a mid-sized organization, showcasing how the tool captures real-time security behaviors and enables context-aware interventions. The deployment yields insights into factors influencing acceptance across different stakeholders (management, IT department, employees). Our results suggest that adaptive approaches, informed by physiological and behavioral signals, can improve security outcomes and user acceptance.