Sara Hahn | UCS

Paper presented at NordiCHI 2026 in Finland

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The research project PIONEER was featured at NordiCHI 2026, the Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, held in Vaasa, Finland. The conference brought together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to discuss the latest developments in areas such as user experience, artificial intelligence and digital inclusion.

During the event, Sara Hahn presented the paper “Mr. Robot to the Rescue”. The talk explored how accurate depictions of cyber security in entertainment media, as portrayed in Mr. Robot, shape people’s beliefs about cyber security. The discussion with the international audience provided valuable feedback and new perspectives for the ongoing research.

The PIONEER project is part of ATHENE’s mission to advance cyber security and privacy research with practical solutions that can be transferred into real-world applications.

Image ©: Sara Hahn

Mr. Robot to the Rescue? Exploring How Correct Cyber Security Content in Entertainment Media Influences Cyber Security Beliefs

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 05:01:40 +0000

Abstract

Entertainment media offers a unique opportunity to convey cyber security knowledge to a wide audience in an engaging way. This study explores its impact on shaping cyber security beliefs through two rounds of interviews with 39 participants, using clips from the series Mr. Robot, known for its realistic depiction of cyber security. The clips addressed topics such as social engineering, password vulnerabilities, misconceptions about hackers targeting only high-value individuals, and the subtle nature of attacks. Participants who viewed cyber security-focused clips demonstrated increased awareness of social engineering and weak passwords. However, beliefs about hacker targets and attack detectability remained unchanged, likely due to participants’ pre-existing high awareness. Our findings highlight the value of positive role models in media, fostering empathy for victims and mitigating victim-blaming. By integrating accurate cyber security behaviors into entertainment, media can offer a compelling, informal channel for promoting secure practices and addressing widespread misconceptions.

Co-Creation of Privacy Support Tool Features

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Motivation

Privacy Support Tools sollen Nutzenden helfen, ihre Privatsphäre selbstbestimmt zu verwalten. Obwohl es von technischer Seite bereits einige Lösungen dafür gibt, werden diese nicht flächendeckend von Nutzenden angenommen. Das ist unter anderem darauf zurückzuführen, dass bei der Entwicklung der Fokus auf der technischen Seite liegt. Daher sind Studien mit Nutzenden erforderlich, um evidenzbasiert und nutzendenzentriert Privacy Support Tools zu gestalten.

Ziel

Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die nutzendenzentrierte Analyse von Anforderungen und Features für Privacy Support Tools.

Aufgaben

Literaturrecherche unter anderem zu Co-Creation, psychologischen Bedürfnissen, Privacy Support Tools sowie Human-Centered Design
Konzeption, Durchführung und Auswertung von etwa drei Co-Creation Workshops
Einordnung und Diskussion der Ergebnisse in Bezug zu Literatur und Praxis
Ableitung und Erstellung eines Mock-Ups mit literatur- und evidenzbasierten Features

Voraussetzungen

Du bist Masterstudent*in an der h_da
Du besitzt Grundkenntnisse in Usable Security und sicherer Software-Entwicklung
Du bist an Interdisziplinarität interessiert und bereit, dich in psychologische Theorien einzuarbeiten
Du kannst eigenständig arbeiten

Literatur

Co-create consortium. (n. d.). The co-create handboook: For creative professionals. https://www.cocreate.training/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/co-design_handbook_FINAL.pdf
Kraus, L., Wechsung, I., & Möller, S. (2017). Psychological needs as motivators for security and privacy actions on smartphones. Journal of Information Security and Applications, 34, 34–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jisa.2016.10.002
Story, P., Smullen, D., Yao, Y., Acquisti, A., Cranor, L. F., Sadeh, N., & Schaub, F. (2021). Awareness, adoption, and misconceptions of web privacy tools. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, 2021(3), 308–333. https://petsymposium.org/popets/2021/popets-2021-0049.pdf
Stöver, A., Hahn, S., Kretschmer, F., & Gerber, N. (2023). Investigating how Users Imagine their Personal Privacy Assistant. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, 2023(2), 384–402. https://petsymposium.org/popets/2023/popets-2023-0059.php

Start

ab WiSe26/27

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Sara Hahn

Experience Sampling for Privacy Decisions

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Motivation

Privacy Support Tools sollen Nutzenden helfen, ihre Privatsphäre selbstbestimmt zu verwalten. Jedoch werden diese aktuell nicht flächendeckend von Nutzenden angenommen. Um die Ursachen besser untersuchen zu können, benötigen wir neben selbst berichteten Daten auch Daten, die das Verhalten der Personen erfassen. Bisher gibt es noch keine Lösung für das PIONEER Framework, welches das Experience Sampling mit dem Erfassen von Verhalten verknüpft.

Ziel

Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Erarbeitung, Programmierung und Evaluierung eines Konzeptes für Experience Sampling für die nutzendenzentrierte Untersuchung von Privacy Support Tools.

Aufgaben

Literaturrecherche unter anderem zu Experience Sampling, psychologischen Bedürfnissen und Privacy Support Tools sowie Human-Centered Design
Ableitung und Programmierung eines Konzeptes für Experience Sampling innerhalb von Privacy Support Tools
Konzeption, Durchführung und Auswertung von einer Evaluationsstudie zu Usability und Akzeptanz

Voraussetzungen

Du bist Masterstudent*in an der h_da
Du besitzt Grundkenntnisse in Usable Security und sicherer Software-Entwicklung
Du bist an Interdisziplinarität interessiert und bereit, dich in psychologische Theorien einzuarbeiten
Du kannst eigenständig arbeiten und hast Spaß am Programmieren

Literatur

Gross, T., & Malzhacker, T. (2023). The experience sampling method and its tools: A review for developers, study administrators, and participants. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 7(EICS), Article 182. https://doi.org/10.1145/3593234
Kraus, L., Wechsung, I., & Möller, S. (2017). Psychological needs as motivators for security and privacy actions on smartphones. Journal of Information Security and Applications, 34, 34–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jisa.2016.10.002
Story, P., Smullen, D., Yao, Y., Acquisti, A., Cranor, L. F., Sadeh, N., & Schaub, F. (2021). Awareness, adoption, and misconceptions of web privacy tools. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, 2021(3), 308–333. https://petsymposium.org/popets/2021/popets-2021-0049.pdf
Stöver, A., Hahn, S., Kretschmer, F., & Gerber, N. (2023). Investigating how Users Imagine their Personal Privacy Assistant. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, 2023(2), 384–402. https://petsymposium.org/popets/2023/popets-2023-0059.php

Start

ab WiSe26/27

Weitere Informationen und Kontakt

Sara Hahn

PIONEER project presents current investigations and publications

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The ATHENE research project PIONEER was featured at the 29th International Conference Information Visualisation held on August 07, 2025 in Darmstadt. The conference brought together leading experts from academia and research institutions to discuss the latest developments in information visualisation, machine learning, and data science.

During the event, Sara Hahn presented the latest research investigations and publications on PIONEER’s innovative Digital Privacy Companion. In her talk, Sara Hahn provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s theoretical foundations and research methodology, while also showcasing current investigations, findings, and recent publications.

The PIONEER project is part of ATHENE’s mission to advance cybersecurity and privacy research with practical solutions that can be transferred into real-world applications.

PIONEER project presents current results

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

UCS recently participated in the ATHENE-Conference on Cognitive Security, held on November 19, 2024, at the historic Jügelhaus in Frankfurt am Main. The event gathered experts from academia, media, and politics to address the pressing challenges posed by cognitive attacks in the digital age. In addition to interesting talks and an insightful panel discussion, several projects were presented in the demo sessions.

Sara Hahn had the opportunity to present the ATHENE project PIONEER’s mobile prototype during the demo sessions with her project colleagues from the TU Darmstadt. The conference guests could explore the prototype’s features, such as lessons and quizzes about privacy, or compare applications regarding their privacy friendliness.

Within our project PIONEER, we strive to empower users in their digital sovereignty by providing them with the necessary knowledge and motivating them to acquire and apply competencies in their everyday digital lives.

How to Respect Bystanders' Privacy in Smart Homes - A Co-Creation Study

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 05:01:40 +0000

Abstract

As technology advances, homes become more digitalized and evolve into smart homes. Bystanders, e.g. guests in smart homes, are often unaware of the smart home devices and the associated privacy risks that make them especially vulnerable. However, so far there is limited research on how the guests can be made aware of smart home devices in the household and how their resulting privacy preferences can be addressed while respecting the smart home owners’ preferences as well. To close this gap, we conducted three co-creation workshops with ten participants (N=10) developing various design solutions. Through a thematic analysis of our data, we identified design solutions for smart home devices and beyond, like higher-level applications for regulating privacy and inherent responsibility. We recommend a multi-modal approach focusing not only on the design of the devices but also on the higher-level management of privacy in smart homes.