SOUPS 2024 Virtual Workshop on Usable Cybersecurity and Privacy for Immersive Technologies

Credit: Shutterstock / Kristina Rigopoulos

Background:

Advances in computer vision, data processing, and other technologies has laid the foundation for novel virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) solutions, collectively called immersive technologies. Immersive technologies are hardware and software systems that create interactive digital visual or spatial environments. These technologies hold promise to drive innovation and economic growth in numerous areas such as workforce, accessibility, and healthcare, but they challenge existing assumptions and practices for digital technologies. For example, large amounts of data may be collected from or about people to create digital worlds or augment the real world, and users can interact with immersive technologies in different ways than other technologies. Cybersecurity and privacy related to immersive technologies must be considered carefully. Immersive technologies may create cybersecurity and privacy risks, some perhaps novel and unique that will need to be managed, but they may also have potential for cybersecurity and privacy protections and other risk mitigations. All the while, users are at the center of these technologies, making usability considerations for immersive technologies critical for cybersecurity and privacy. For example, certain communication modalities may be more effective (i.e. due to use of audio and visual features); whereas, modalities that only include text or menus to navigate content are less effective for delivering cybersecurity and privacy information via immersive technologies. Not considering usability in this context risks users not using or misusing cybersecurity features, privacy features, or the technologies themselves. This virtual workshop is a pre-symposium event related to the Twentieth Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security, and it will explore immersive technologies and the cybersecurity and privacy considerations they introduce. We invite submissions on the following topics: 

• Usable cybersecurity and privacy considerations for immersive technologies, with particular interest in novel considerations. 
• Potential approaches for usable cybersecurity and privacy (e.g., risk mitigations) for immersive technology solutions and use cases. 
• Potential usable cybersecurity and privacy mitigations that may utilize immersive technologies to deliver protections. 
• How usable cybersecurity and privacy impact, or are impacted by, other trust factors (i.e., safety, resiliency, reliability) for immersive technology solutions and use cases. 
• Insights for standards and standards development for immersive technologies and use cases. 

Before the Workshop:

Submissions should be emailed to immersivetech [at] nist.gov (immersivetech[at]nist[dot]gov) before the submission deadline to be considered for the workshop. Papers should be at most six pages (excluding references) using the SOUPS template format (MS Word or LaTeX). Additional information can be found in the Call for Papers.

Key Dates:

• Deadline for submissions: May 23 23:59 AoE (Anywhere on Earth). 

• Notification of acceptance: June 6. 

• Deadline for camera-ready versions of accepted submissions: June 20 23:59 AoE (Anywhere on Earth).

During the Workshop:

The workshop will be held virtually on Wednesday, August 7 from 1:00pm to 6:00pm EST. 

Accepted presentations will be organized into 3 sessions so that each session’s presentations are related. Sessions will consist of authors presenting and answering questions from the audience.

After the Workshop:

NIST will publish a report of the workshop, summarizing the presentations, insights gathered, and potential next steps for usable cybersecurity and privacy for immersive technologies.

If you have any questions, please email the organizers at immersivetech [at] nist.gov (immersivetech[at]nist[dot]gov)