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(Ed.)
Improving end-users’ awareness of cybersecurity warnings (e.g., phishing and malware alerts) remains a longstanding problem in
usable security. Prior work suggests two key weaknesses with existing warnings: they are primarily communicated via saturated
communication channels (e.g., visual, auditory, and vibrotactile); and, they are communicated rationally, not viscerally. We hypothesized
that wrist-based affective haptics should address both of these weaknesses in a form-factor that is practically deployable: i.e., as a
replaceable wristband compatible with modern smartwatches like the Apple Watch. To that end, we designed and implemented Spidey
Sense, a wristband that produces customizable squeezing sensations to alert users to urgent cybersecurity warnings. To evaluate
Spidey Sense, we applied a three-phased ‘Gen-Rank-Verify’ study methodology with 48 participants. We found evidence that, relative
to vibrotactile alerts, Spidey Sense was considered more appropriate for the task of alerting people to cybersecurity warnings.
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