Internet users are targets for ever-advancing phishing- and other attacks. The risks are, for example, to disclose credit card information or passwords to unauthorized instances. One approach to help users with insecure situations is provided by MoodyBoard, which uses ambient information to highlight potential risks. In this paper, we present findings from an evaluation of this system. Two user studies were conducted in order to find out whether an ambient security tool can protect users during sensitive tasks. We designed a pilot study to find out whether users understand the warnings and a security study to see if it helps to protect users from phishing attacks. Results show that MoodyBoard users behaved significantly more secure.

To counter the increasing number of online threats for users' privacy and security, this paper explores the design of an ambient security indicator, in form of a standard keyboard illuminated in different colors, and equipped with additional buttons and vibration functionality. We present the results of a focus group study, which notably influenced the design, and discuss a prototypical implementation called Moody Board.