SPAM Lab

Security and People At Mines (SPAM)

The SPAM lab focuses on improving security and privacy by studying how people interact with technology. Our research exists at the intersection of human behavior and security and privacy, employing a wide range of methodologies including surveys, interviews, vulnerability analysis, system design and evaluation, and large-scale data measurement.

Our goal is to enhance individuals’ understanding of and interactions with security and privacy by empirically evaluating their experiences, knowledge, and behaviors. Current research in the lab explores:

• Security and privacy education at the K-12 level
• Impacts of AI on security and privacy across diverse contexts, including education, software development, and research design
• Adoption of secure tools and programming languages, such as fuzzers and Rust

Through this work, we provide evidence-based recommendations to advance secure software development, improve security and privacy education, and guide the responsible use of emerging AI technologies.