Nudging users towards better security decisions in password creation using whitebox-based multidimensional visualisations - Journal article

Oct 12, 2026

Nudging people to make safer online password decisions is a growing area in cybersecurity research, where personalization can improve effectiveness despite wide variation across users and contexts. This work proposes a disaggregated whitebox-based nudge that visualizes critical information by segmenting users by decision-making and information processing styles. The study builds dynamic radar charts and parallel coordinates and evaluates short-term effects and perception through a think-aloud pretest and a representative online study (N=1,012). Results indicate dynamic radar charts yield moderately stronger-password outcomes and are especially liked by role-playing game players.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and Related Work

Disaggregated Whitebox Nudge Design

Visualisation Methods

Evaluation Method and Results

Findings and Discussion

Behaviour & Information Technology ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: [https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tbit20](https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tbit20) Nudging users towards better security decisions in password creation using whitebox-based multidimensional visualisations Katrin Hartwig & Christian Reuter To cite this article: Katrin Hartwig & Christian Reuter (2021): Nudging users towards better security decisions in password creation using whitebox-based multidimensional visualisations, Behaviour & Information Technology, DOI: 10. 1080/0144929X.2021.1876167 To link to this article: [https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1876167](https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1876167) Published online: 25 Jan 2021. | Submit your article to this journal | | --- | | Article views: 58 | | View related articles | | View Crossmark data | Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at [https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tbit20](https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tbit20) Nudging users towards better security decisions in password creation using whitebox-based multidimensional visualisations Katrin Hartwig and Christian Reuter Science and Technology for Peace and Security (PEASEC), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany ABSTRACT Nudging users to keep them secure online has become a growing research ﬁeld in cybersecurity. While existing approaches are mainly blackbox based, showing aggregated visualisations as onesize-ﬁts-all nudges, personalisation turned out promising to enhance the eﬃcacy of nudges within the high variance of users and contexts. This article presents a disaggregated whitebox-based visualisation of critical information as a novel nudge. By segmenting users according to their decision-making and information processing styles, we investigate if the novel nudge is moreeﬀective for speciﬁc users than a common black-box nudge. Based on existing literature about critical factors in password security, we designed a dynamic radar chart and parallel coordinates as disaggregated visualisations. We evaluated the short-term eﬀectiveness and users’ perception of the nudges in a think-aloud prestudy and a representative online evaluation (N=1.012) . Our ﬁndings suggest that dynamic radar charts present a moderately eﬀective nudge towards stronger passwords regarding short-term eﬃcacy and are appreciated particularly by players of role-playing games. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 7 April 2020 Accepted 5 January 2021 KEYWORDS Nudging; whitebox; usable security; personalisation; passwords 1. Introduction When forcing people ’s decisions towards a desired outcome without being convenient, people tend to ﬁnd workarounds. For example, if users are forced to adopt higher online security, it may reduce their willingness to follow the advice when the beneﬁts are not clear and the desired behaviour appears to be a disproportionately big eﬀort (Merkel and Wiczorek 2012; Jeske, Coventry, and Briggs 2014a) . In that case, users often choose convenience over security. Instead of forcing, nudging is a promising concept to steer people‘s behaviour. A nudge is ‘any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people ‘s behaviour in a predictable way without forbidding any options or signiﬁcantly changing their economic incentives ’ (Thaler and Sunstein 2009, p. 6) . However, Renaud and Zimmerman (2017) include nudges as well that come with a maximisation of nonmonetary utility, introducing the term of ‘enriched nudges’. Nudges can be applied in diﬀerent ways. For instance, the advertisement industry uses nudges to convince people of buying a speciﬁc product. More favourably, applications in healthcare try to nudge people towards a healthier life. As it is a very subjective perception of what is best for people, ethical guidelines have to be considered. Renaud and Zimmermann (2018a) have derived general principles for et

FAQs

How does this research improve password nudges compared with black-box approaches?

It replaces aggregated, one-size-fits-all visualizations with a disaggregated whitebox-based nudge that tailors critical information to user segments defined by decision-making and information processing styles.

What visualization techniques are used in the proposed nudge?

The study designs a dynamic radar chart and parallel coordinates as disaggregated visualizations for critical password-security information.

How was the nudge evaluated and what were the main results?

Effectiveness and user perception were assessed via a think-aloud pre-study and a representative online evaluation with 1,012 participants. Findings suggest dynamic radar charts provide moderately effective nudging toward stronger passwords, with particular appreciation among role-playing game players.

Oct 12, 2026

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