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UX designers generally strive to make products easier to use, but there are circumstances in which adding friction improves product security. For instance, two-factor authentication makes login slower but can reduce identity theft. There are also occasions when implementing friction simply makes users feel safe: Animated progress bars don’t protect personal data but may meet a user’s expectations about the higher degree of processing power required in a secure environment.
As a product design manager for Freja, a digital security company under contract with the Swedish government, I routinely look for ways to harmonize usability with user safety. Sometimes that means incorporating features that users perceive to be secure. For example, most digital products can instantaneously compute complex data, but research shows that artificial loading times give users a sense that an advanced system is hard at work on their behalf. On the other hand, if designers are overly reliant on features that only appear to bolster security (known as security theater), they may lead users to believe that their information is safer than it is.
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Features That Enhance UX Security
Identity verification is a crucial aspect of UX security. Unfortunately, usernames and passwords aren’t reliable authentication measures: In 2021, 85% of phishing attacks targeted user credentials. To combat this, designers are implementing security features that increase the time it takes for users to create and log into an account. For instance, multifactor authentication (MFA) requires multiple forms of identification at account creation or login. Most products that employ MFA require users to provide two of three credentials:
App Maintenance Costs
- App Maintenance Costs
- Updating to the latest versions of third-party services.
- Fixing bugs.
- Code optimization.
- Controlling app stability and performance of servers.
I am responsible for creating a sales funnel, attracting potential customers, and converting them into actual buyers.
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