Nudging towards security: Developing an application for wireless network selection for android phones

People make security choices on a daily basis without fully considering the security implications of those choices. In this paper we present a prototype application which pro- motes the choice of secure wireless network options, specif- ically when users are unfamiliar with the wireless networks available. The app was developed based on behavioural the- ory, choice architecture and good practices informed by HCI design. The app includes several options to nudge' users to- wards selecting more secure public wireless networks. This paper outlines the development and the results of an evalua- tion of some of the potential app nudges (specifically, presen- tation order and colour coding). Colour coding was found to be a powerful inuence, less so with the order in which we listed the Wi-Fi networks, although the colour order combination was most effective. The paper contributes to the body of evidence on the effectiveness of cyber-security interventions to empower the user to make more informed security decisions.