This course focuses on how to design and build secure systems with a human-centric focus. We will look at basic principles of human-computer interaction, and apply these insights to the design of secure systems with the goal of developing security measures that respect human performance and their goals within a system.
Offered By
About this Course
Skills you will gain
- Cybersecurity
- Usability
- Privacy
- User Interface
Offered by

University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 47 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.8 billion operating budget, secures $500 million annually in external research funding and recently completed a $1 billion fundraising campaign.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Fundamentals of Human-Computer Interaction: users, usability, tasks, and cognitive models
Week 2
Design: design methodology, prototyping, cybersecurity case study
Week 3
Evaluation: usability studies, A/B testing, quantitative and qualitative evaluation, cybersecurity case study
Week 4
Strategies for Secure Interaction Design: authority, guidelines for interface design
Reviews
- 5 stars69.26%
- 4 stars23.90%
- 3 stars4.27%
- 2 stars1.13%
- 1 star1.41%
TOP REVIEWS FROM USABLE SECURITY
Found it very useful. The content is articulated very well and is substantiated with research work & survey. This gives me a way to objectively assess system from security point of view
I learnt more from this than I expected. It covers a lot of practical things that I have begun to apply towards improving my own personal digital security. I totally recommend this course.
It was my first stepping stone towards cybersecurity. The instructor is very knowledgable and smart. I really enjoy the course and would looking forward for other courses in the specilization.
Great course with enriching materials to support. It has given me a headstart to understand more concepts. Thank you Professor Jennifer for your structured, easy to understand course structure.
About the Cybersecurity Specialization
The Cybersecurity Specialization covers the fundamental concepts underlying the construction of secure systems, from the hardware to the software to the human-computer interface, with the use of cryptography to secure interactions. These concepts are illustrated with examples drawn from modern practice, and augmented with hands-on exercises involving relevant tools and techniques. Successful participants will develop a way of thinking that is security-oriented, better understanding how to think about adversaries and how to build systems that defend against them.

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