The aesthetics of cyber security: How do users perceive them?

TL;DR

This paper explores how users perceive visual elements in cyber security content and how these aesthetics influence their confidence and informal learning about cyber security.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a 'cyber security aesthetic' and analyzes user perceptions of visual assets in cyber security information.

Findings

Identification of visual properties associated with cyber security aesthetics

Insights into how aesthetics influence user self-efficacy in cyber security learning

Analysis of sentiments conveyed by cyber security images

Abstract

While specific aesthetic philosophies may differ across cultures, all human societies have used aesthetics to support communication and learning. Within the fields of usability and usable security, aesthetics have been deployed for such diverse purposes as enhancing students' e-learning experiences and optimising user interface design. In this paper, we seek to understand how individual users perceive the visual assets that accompany cyber security information, and how these visual assets and user perceptions underwrite a distinct \emph{cyber security aesthetic}. We ask, (1) What constitutes cyber security aesthetics, from the perspective of an individual user? and (2) How might these aesthetics affect users' perceived self-efficacy as they informally learn cyber security precepts? To begin answering these questions, we compile an image-set from cyber security web articles and analyse the distinct visual properties and sentiments of these images.