I’ve now been working in tech for 25 years, and in that time I’ve developed some wisdom. One theme I’ve discovered and blogged about repeatedly over the years is profound despite its simplicity: In many cases, the best way to know whether something will work is to just try it. I’ve written numerous posts makingContinue reading “Experimentation: Just Try It!”
Tag Archives: browsers
Web Security is Too Hard
It started innocently enough. I saw a tweet about a new product offering from one of my favorite companies, Cloudflare. Neat! I clicked through to the site and there it is: And huzzah!, my preferred handle, @ericlaw is still available. I’d better hurry to claim it before someone else gets it! Since I’m already aContinue reading “Web Security is Too Hard”
Guidelines for URL Storage and Comparison
This document contains some thoughts about the storage and comparison of URLs, common operations crucial to the correct function of security software like Microsoft SmartScreen. Importantly, URLs are also displayed on security surfaces to enable the user to make a decision based on their contents. Eight years ago, I wrote the Guidelines for URL Display.Continue reading “Guidelines for URL Storage and Comparison”
Security Surfaces
An important concept in Usable Security is whether a given UI represents a “security surface.” Formally, a security surface is a User Interface component in which the user is presented with information they rely upon to make a security decision. For example, in the browser, the URL in the address bar is a security surface.Continue reading “Security Surfaces”
Family Safety Content Filtering
Microsoft Family Safety is a feature of Windows that allows parents to control their children’s access to apps and content in Windows. The feature is tied to the user accounts of the parent(s) and child(ren). When I visit https://family.microsoft.com and log in with my personal Microsoft Account, I’m presented with the following view: The “Nate”Continue reading “Family Safety Content Filtering”