Data Guardians: Behaviors and Challenges While Caring for Others' Personal Data

Published

July 23, 2023

Author(s)

Julie Haney, Sandra Prettyman, Mary Frances Theofanos, Susanne M. Furman

Abstract

Many professional domains require the collection and use of personal data. Protecting systems and data is a major concern in these settings, necessitating that workers who handle personal data under- stand and practice good security and privacy habits. However, to date, there has been little examination of perceptions, behaviors, and chal- lenges among these professionals. To address this gap, we conducted an interview study of 19 individuals working in the education, finance, and health fields. We discovered an overarching theme centered on "duty of care" in relation to how these professionals feel responsible for protect- ing other people's personal data and take on a "data guardian" role. The identification of the experiences challenges of data guardians can aid organizations in recognizing and supporting this critical role. Study insights can also help designers of systems that process personal data to better align with the needs and constraints of data guardians.

Proceedings Title

Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

Conference Dates

July 23-28, 2023

Conference Location

Copenhagen, DK

Conference Title

25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

cybersecurity, privacy, usability, human factors, personal data

Citation

Haney, J. , Prettyman, S. , Theofanos, M. and Furman, S. (2023), Data Guardians: Behaviors and Challenges While Caring for Others' Personal Data, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction , Copenhagen, DK, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=935379 (Accessed October 6, 2025)