Promoting a physical security mental model for personal firewall warnings

Abstract

We used an iterative process to design personal firewall warnings in which the functionality of a firewall is visualized based on a physical security mental model. We performed a study to determine the degree to which our proposed warnings are understandable for our participants, and the degree to which they convey the risks and encourage safe behavior as compared to warnings based on those from a popular personal firewall. Initial results show that our warnings facilitate the comprehension of warning information, better communicate risk, and increase the likelihood of safe behavior. Moreover, they provided participants with a better understanding of both the functionality of a personal firewall and the consequences of their actions.