Secure Interaction Design

This skill encompasses the design of secure user interactions and authentication mechanisms. It concerns how users interface with security systems: authentication flows, permission requests, security alerts, and how the system responds to them. A good secure interaction design is intuitive, friction-appropriate, and doesn't sacrifice security for convenience. Pay attention to accessibility: security controls should not create unnecessary barriers for users with different abilities. Ideally, security interactions are balanced to meet both security requirements and usability needs.

Starting Points

• NIST Digital Identity Guidelines
• OWASP Authentication Cheat Sheet
• Usable Security: History, Themes, and Challenges

Key Points

• You design authentication and authorization flows that align with security requirements while considering the user experience for the target audience.
• You provide for accessibility in security interfaces without compromising security controls.
• You test the security interaction design with users. You refine the design based on this feedback while maintaining appropriate security levels.
• Document and communicate the security controls clearly to end users and administrators.