Security vs Usability Tradeoff

The cluster discusses the longstanding tradeoff between security and usability/convenience, where users often prioritize ease of use over robust security measures, leading to compromises and bypasses in practice.

📉 Falling 0.5x Security
4,619
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#1544
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
5
2008
31
2009
59
2010
85
2011
129
2012
168
2013
254
2014
175
2015
251
2016
294
2017
332
2018
288
2019
330
2020
386
2021
317
2022
399
2023
378
2024
362
2025
349
2026
29

Keywords

XSRF IMHO schneier.com AGAINST XSS SMS security users secure user usability password convenience viruses trade 2fa

Sample Comments

acct776 Jan 13, 2021 View on HN

People have been choosing usability over security forever - don't be ashamed.

jordigh Apr 3, 2019 View on HN

Users care very little about security, actually.

Tepix Aug 20, 2022 View on HN

It's the old usability vs security compromise.

barrkel Jul 9, 2019 View on HN

This is the security - usability tradeoff and is as old as the hills.

hackernewds May 12, 2023 View on HN

not everyone will do this though. security is meant for the idiot users

qrbLPHiKpiux Dec 6, 2016 View on HN

9/10 end users just don't understand that security and convenience are inversely related.

ptah Dec 18, 2019 View on HN

typically, better security practices tend to lead to more discomfort for users

Angostura May 4, 2024 View on HN

Good security can be quite annoying to end users, so be careful with that metric

userbinator Aug 18, 2024 View on HN

A lot of people are starting to realise that "secure" means "secure AGAINST the user".

PaulHoule Dec 20, 2017 View on HN

If user experience is bad, people will bypass security measures.