Security to Usability

I have recently got attacked by a unknown spyware. Whenever I use IE, it pops-up other windows here and there. It even changes my tool bar, put some strange search engine bookmarks on it!

I hate this - giving me junk stuffs without my permission! It also hindered users to make the full potential of the Internet. And most importantly, if your product failed to give users secure feeling, your user might just switch to use other products. Just like me, I've switched to use Mozila Firefox. Not only because its simplicity and lightness, but also I won't be bothered by thoses flipping pop-up ads. I, myself, think I'm in the IT field, I suppose I've already aware of spywares and have some knowledge on how to protect myself on the Internet. But I've got attacked this time. I'm sure that people who are not in the IT field must be more frustrating than me. And you can't just accuse user's stupidity while not doing anything for them. Just like Jacob Neilson says: 'Computer security is too complicated and the bad guys are too devious and inventive. It’s simply unrealistic to assume that average users can keep up with them'. This could be one of the reasons that people are reluctant to use e-businesses and other Internet related software and tools. Over the past few months, a lot of users has switched away from Netscape and Internet Explorer to Firefox. And security is one of reasons that make people choose it as their default browser.

When designing an online interactive product, especially for e-commerce or banking website, secure feeling is also an important component of joyful user experience. Improve your product's security will certainly also improve its usability and will bring you more loyal users.