Why Doesn’t Jane Protect Her Privacy?

1. Why Doesn’t Jane Protect Her Privacy? Written by Karen Renaud, Melanie Volkamer, and Arne Renkema-Padmos Presented by Maximus Brandel

2. Overview • Introduction • Proposed Explanations • The Study • Results & Reflections • Conclusion

3. Introduction • Most providers provide email privacy in transit • However, most providers and hackers who have compromised email servers have full access to our emails • End-to-end (E2E) encryption by end-users would protect user’s emails from prying eyes • Plenty of tools available for users(PGP/OpenPGP, S/MIME, etc.)

4. Introduction • With the abundance of tools, not many users use E2E encryption • “Why is the use of end-to-end email security so limited?” • Previous studies showed poor usability of encryption tools was to blame • Not the case now as usability has improved

5. Introduction • Other explanations researched: interoperability difficulties between tools, technical problems • “Which other explanations, besides the previously highlighted problems, could explain the low uptake of E2E encryption?” • 7 proposed possible explanations

6. Proposed Explanations • 1. Users do not have any awareness of privacy as a concern • 2. Users are aware of the possibility of privacy violation of their emails, but do not take action for a number of reasons. • 3. Users know that the privacy of their emails can be violated, but are not aware that this can happen in transit or at server side. • 4. Users know that the privacy of their emails can be violated in transit or at server, but they do not take any action because they fail to see the need of it

7. Proposed Explanations • 5. Users know that the privacy of their emails can be violated and they want to prevent it, but do not know how to protect their emails. • 6. Users are concerned that the privacy of their emails can be violated and they understand that they can use E2E encryption to prevent this, but they can’t do it. • 7. Users are concerned that the privacy of their emails can be violated and they understand that they can use E2E encryption to prevent this, and they are able to do it, but still they have reasons not to.

8. The Study • 21 people interviewed, 9 females and 12 males, 7(18-24 age) and 14(25-34 age) • 8 used webmail, 11 used webmail and desktop email clients, and 2 weren’t sure • Question categories included free-hand drawing, template drawing, security problems, security concerns, demographics, and debriefing and closing remarks

9. The Study • Also wanted to collect data from computer science students • Used a survey instead of interviews • Survey group consisted of 24 people, 8 females and 16 males(1 blank answer), 12(18-24 age), 11(25-34 age), 1(35-44 age)(1 blank answer) • 13 used webmail, 8 used webmail and desktop email clients, 3 used desktop email clients, and 1 not sure

10. Results • Explanation 1: No privacy awareness • Many people may not have any awareness of privacy as a concern • Users interviewed were aware of the fact that their privacy could be violated when using email • Data from past research has also found that people are aware of privacy violations • Only 1 person did not mention privacy or anything related to it

11. Results • “.. it kind of gets more into the privacy of people’s life, somehow” • “it’s just like a virtual ... loss ... of privacy” • “it’s about privacy concern and he is collecting data, and based on that data maybe he is profiling” • “mitigate by not sending emails containing sensitive information.

12. Results • Explanation 2: Privacy aware, but not concerned • Users may be aware of the privacy violations, but they aren’t concerned • Users interviewed highlighted several themes as to why they don’t see the need to protect their privacy • Theme 1: Nothing to hide • Theme 2: No harm

13. Results • Theme 3: They don’t feel important enough • Theme 4: Private emails aren’t critical • Theme 5: Someone else’s responsibility • Theme 6: Assuming that security is already taken care of • Data from literature confirms that many users know of privacy violation, they just don’t expend any effort to protect their privacy • There is evidence that explanation 2 is a valid reason

14. Results • Explanation 3: Privacy concerned with misconceptions • Users know that the privacy of emails can be violated but do not know that this can happen in transit or at the mail server • Users interviewed, once again, illuminated themes as to why this explanation may be valid • Theme 1: Password Issues • Theme 2: Malicious Attachment

15. Results • Theme 3: Further mentioned threats, i.e. concerned about security of end-point devices, concerned about someone having physical access to their device • Findings from past research also confirmed that many users share the same themes (password security, viruses, spyware) • There is evidence that explanation 3 is a valid reason

16. Results • Explanation 4: Privacy concerned, with sound understanding, but does not see need to act • Data from interviews pointed to several themes • Theme 1: No need to protect against hackers gaining access • Theme 2: No need to protect against email providers having access in general because they only scan emails to enable targeted ads or they only access emails because security agencies require access

17. Results • Theme 3: No need to protect against network related attacks • Past studies have shown that users are willing to trade privacy for convenience • “Nothing to hide” fallacy is also a strong theme in past research • Explanation 4 is a valid explanation

18. Results • Explanation 5: Privacy concerned, with sound understanding, but does not know how to act • Themes found during surveys: • Theme 1: Users think there is nothing they can do • Theme 2: There are other types of (more or less effective) countermeasures • Theme 3: Users have a wrong understanding of encryption

19. Results • Past studies have shown that users have an idea of threats and they try to use countermeasures against them that they believed would work • If the threat models are wrong, then countermeasures might not help • Explanation 5 is a valid explanation

20. Results • Explanation 6: Privacy concerned, wants to act, but cannot • The interviews don’t provide much evidence for this explanation • Findings from literature suggest that security software is “harder” than normal software • Not enough evidence for explanation 6

21. Results

25. Results • Explanation 7: Privacy concerned, knows how to act, can act but does not • No evidence to confirm this explanation from interviews • Past research has shown that users believe encryption requires too much effort to implement • Past research also shows that users consider it paranoid to encrypt all emails

32. Reflections

33. Reflections • 3 factors that could contribute towards the 7 explanations • Factor 1: Users lack of understanding, misconceptions, and incomplete mental models of email security • Users had very little understanding of how email was transmitted and stored and how the email architecture works

34. Reflections • Factor 2: Users lack understanding of the possible consequences of not protecting themselves • Users interviewed who were aware of privacy violations from email providers thought it was acceptable(targeted ads, price they pay for free email service) • Other users who were more educated in privacy considered it pointless(NSA)

35. Reflections • Factor 3: Problems might be attributable to the information sources that inform people generally • Their research provided evidence that people gain knowledge primarily from others or personal experience • “I have friends that, uh, their per-their personal accounts w-was hacked.” • “And also I think I’ve heard from my friend that they could catch everything from here [laughs] somehow.” • “[A friend] got a virus, and for that reason it kept on sending automatic emails from his ... his email address.”

36. Conclusion • Researchers wanted to answer the question “Why is the use of end-to-end email security so limited?” • Proposed 7 explanations as to why people don’t use E2E encryption • Through interviews and a survey, they confirmed 4 out of the 7 explanations