What is HCI and Security?

Human-Computer Interaction(HCI) is a multidisciplinary field that deals with the interactions between humans and computer interfaces through design, technology, and psychology. In short, HCI consists of three parts, as shown in the illustration below:

Security in HCI mainly pertains to information security and improves usability security features in end-user applications like e-commerce websites or smartphone applications.

For example, in e-commerce websites where the users enter their personal and credit card information, usable security plays a significant role. This is because users expect their data to be kept safe and confidential and the interface to perform well as they enter their details.

The following illustration highlights some of the reasons behind the poor usability of security features in end-user applications:

To better understand the user, the application and interface designers need to take user concerns regarding security features into account. For example, users hesitate to enter their personal information on the Internet on most sites. By implementing security through Human-Computer Interaction, we can ensure a secure interaction.