CyLab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory

CUPS brings together researchers working on a diverse set of projects related to understanding and improving the usability of privacy.

The CyLab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory (CUPS) brings together researchers working on a diverse set of projects related to understanding and improving the usability of privacy and security software and systems. Their research employs a combination of three high-level strategies to make secure systems more usable: building systems that 'just work' without involving humans in security-critical functions; making secure systems intuitive and easy to use; and teaching humans how to perform security-critical tasks. CUPS is affiliated with Carnegie Mellon CyLab. their research is funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Army Research Lab, Microsoft, and Google. Wombat Security Technologies, Inc. is commercializing some of the technologies they developed. CUPS students come from several CMU PhD programs including the programs in Societal Computing, Engineering and Public Policy, Human Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Public Policy and Management. Prospective students should apply directly to these programs and also express their interest in the CUPS doctoral training program.