SPUD Lab

How might we build systems that empower people with greater agency over their personal data? We tackle this critical question in today’s digital world. Our interdisciplinary approach combines Human-Computer Interaction, Security and Privacy, and Applied AI to create solutions that encourage better security behaviors. We focus on three key areas: designing systems that resonate with human motivations, holding data harvesters accountable, and helping practitioners balance utility with privacy. As computing encompasses more of our lives, our goal is to empower end-users with novel security and privacy systems that connect core human drives with desired security outcomes. We create systems that mitigate pain, social rejection, and fear while enhancing feelings of hope, social acceptance, and pleasure. Ultimately, the SPUD Lab aims to design user-friendly systems that make better security and privacy behaviors not just possible, but natural and rewarding.