Dodier-Lazaro, S; Becker, I; Krinke, J; Sasse, M; (2017) No Good Reason to Remove Features: Expert Users Value Useful Apps over Secure Ones. (UCL Computer Science Research Notes 17/03 ). UCL Computer Science: London.

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Abstract

Application sandboxes are an essential security mechanism to contain malware. Yet, they are seldom used on Desktops. We hypothesise this is because sandboxes are incompatible with plugins, and with APIs used to implement a wide variety of Desktop features. To verify this, we interviewed 13 expert users about their app appropriation decisions, and illustrate how they recruit values like usefulness, productivity or reliability in their decisions. We found that (a) security is an unimportant factor for appropriation; (b) plugins considerably support productivity needs and (c) users may abandon apps that remove a feature, especially for feature removals justified by security. Productivity-oriented expert Desktop users place more value in a stable user experience and in having flexible apps than in security benefits. Sandboxing thus conflicts with their values. We conclude that for sandboxed apps to be systematically adoptable by expert users, sandboxes must no longer require the sacrifice of plugins and features found in Desktop apps.

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