Abstract

DNSSEC ensures the integrity of DNS data. DNSSEC however is not visible to the end user. We designed a DNSSEC status indicator tool that shows the DNSSEC validation statuses of the host being visited in the Web browser. We then conducted a usability study to evaluate the tool, gathering user behavior and feedback from 30 participants. The usability study revealed that users were able to make security conscious decisions based on context of the task, but the tool struggled to communicate that it was sharing the status of the validity of the name-to-IP-address resolution of visited websites. We hope that this work will help with the deployment of DNSSEC and ultimately contribute to a safer Internet with more knowledgeable users.

Degree

College and Department

Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences; Computer Science

Rights

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