Program Overview

Human-Centered Security Program

The Human-Centered Security (HCS) program focuses on designing and developing secure, privacy-preserving systems that account for how users interact with technology. Technology alone cannot solve all security challenges. While it is possible to create technically robust security mechanisms, many security issues persist because systems often lack usability. This disconnect leads to users often (intentionally or unintentionally) bypassing or undermining security mechanisms. Therefore, human factors play a central role in IT security, and this course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to address these issues.

Program Details

• Professor in Charge: Prof. Dr. Florian Alt
• Lecturers: Dr. Viktorija Paneva, Dr. Marco Gutfleisch
• Tutorials: Oliver Hein and Felix Dietz
• Hours per week: 2 (Lecture) + 2 (Tutorial)
• ECTS credits: 6
• Language: English
• Module: Module Assignments
• Capacity: max. 100

Syllabus

The lecture, alongside practical exercises, will provide students with a comprehensive overview of key challenges in the field of human-centered security. Students will examine various security mechanisms, mental models of users, and techniques for threat modelling. Topics such as authentication, password management, and Social Engineering will be explored in depth. The course also addresses emerging user-centred threats posed by new, pervasive technologies, such as Mixed Reality, and Smart Homes, which introduce unique security risks due to their novel interaction patterns.

Lecture Schedule

• The lecture will be held every Tuesday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. (c.t.), beginning October 14.
• Location: Edmund-Rumpler-Strasse 13, Room B 117. Starting October 21, the lecture will be in Room B006 at Geschwister-Scholl-Platz (Hauptgebaeude).

Tutorial Schedule

• Two tutorials will be held every second Tuesday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. (c.t.) and Wednesday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. (c.t.), starting October 28/29.
• Location: Tuesday: Edmund-Rumpler-Strasse 13, Room B 185, and Wednesday: Edmund-Rumpler-Strasse 9, Room A 127.

Detailed Schedule

• Date | Time | Topic | Room
• ---|---|---|---
• 14.10.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Kick-Off & Introduction | Edmund-Rumpler-Strasse 13 - B 117
• 21.10.2025 | 15:00-17:00 s.t. | Human-Centered Privacy in Intelligent Environments (PhD Defense) | Zoom-Link
• 28.10.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Security Fundamentals | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 04.11.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Privacy Fundamentals | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 11.11.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Research Ethics & Data Collection I (Survey) | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 18.11.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Data Collection II (Interviews, Focus Group, Observations...) | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 25.11.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Research Approaches (Lab, Field, in the Wild) | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 02.12.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | HCS Research Process I (Step-by-step) | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 09.12.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | HCS Research Process II, Authentication (Knowledge and Token) | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 16.12.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Authentication (Biometrics) | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 23.12.2025 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 13.01.2026 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Risk Representation | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 20.01.2026 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Applied Human-Centered Security | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 27.01.2026 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Social Engineering | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006
• 03.02.2026 | 14:00-16:00 c.t. | Secure Software Development | Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 - B 006

Exam

• Exam TBA.