Available Technologies

Technology

The proliferation of identity theft and unnecessary exposure of personal information has led to security and privacy challenges. One solution that developers have implemented is an OS-based warning system that detects potential web security hazards. These hazards prompt text-based warnings designed to capture a user’s attention and alert them to proceed with caution. However, with these warnings comes another challenge: there are so many warnings that users often look past them, proceeding to enter high-risk information.

Researchers at UAH have developed an automated dynamic warning system based on the eye gaze of users. This system utilizes special hardware and embedded processing that tracks a user’s eye gaze, and when the user looks at a text entry field that could lead to a security hazard, a dynamic warning box pops up to alert the user to the risk. What makes the system dynamic is that it is designed to provide the warning right when the user needs it and disappear automatically when the user no longer needs it.

Potential applications for the Dynamic Warnings system include any web or mobile application where a user may be prompted to disclose sensitive personal information, especially information that users do not typically consider to be sensitive (e.g., date of birth).