Human factors of software updates

Many people delay or completely avoid updating the software on their devices. This can cause serious issues for security and software management. Most computers are compromised using vulnerabilities for which a security update already exists. If users had updated they would have been safe. Despite this many users still choose to not update their devices. The fact is that updating software is risky for end users. In this talk, I will discuss my research exploring the reasons people choose to avoid updating their devices. I will also discuss how these reasons relate to software design and discuss approaches that will likely improve update installation rates.

Speaker Details

Kami Vaniea works on the human factors of security and privacy as a Lecturer in Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. Her current projects include barriers to software update installation, privacy concerns of content viewers, permission setting privacy across different cultures, and helping small app designers create secure health apps. Her research looks at how to assist users in making informed security and privacy choices by providing relevant feedback about their choices and options. Dr. Vaniea was previously an Assistant Professor in the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University and a post doctorial researcher in the Media and Information department at Michigan State University. Her PhD is from Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Science Department and her thesis looked at the human factors of access control systems.