Security Seminar - Diana Freed

28 Sep
Wednesday, 09/28/2022 12:20pm to 1:20pm
Computer Science Building, Room 150/151
Security Seminar

Digital technologies, such as mobile devices, IoT devices, social virtual reality, and social networks, play an increasingly significant role in both perpetrating harm to, and creating opportunities for, vulnerable populations and individuals marginalized by digital inequities. As a result, special care has to be invested to understand the sociotechnical complexities inherent to privacy and security practices of these groups. In this talk I will discuss my research on understanding and mitigating technology-facilitated abuse in the context of youth abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV survivors increasingly report that abusers install spyware on devices, track locations, monitor communications, and cause emotional and physical harm. In addition, there is a limited understanding of the landscape of digital threats and harms youth experience. I will first discuss my research on threat models and mitigation strategies in the IPV ecosystem. I will then describe the youth digital abuse ecosystem and threat models that include cyberbullying and harassment, sexual violence, and financial exploitation, with attacks carried out by peers, partners, family, and strangers, spanning across platforms and into the physical world. Finally, I will highlight the need for a landscape view of digital safety and suggest directions for better protective ecosystems.

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