Human Factors in security: User-centred and socio-technical perspectives

Abstract

Over the last 25 years, security research and knowledge has developed in many ways. There have been increased numbers of taught courses relating to criminology and security, high-impact research being published in dedicated journals and, from that, more guidance and support communicated to corporate and private security practitioners (Fisher and Gill, 2012). Some aspects of security research have been driven by recent trends in radicalisation (for example, al Shabab and Islamic State); high-profile terrorist attacks (such as the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi and Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris); or the need to secure major events (such as the recent Olympics). However, all these developments have seen a growing emphasis on the need to identify indicators of hostile or criminal intent and safeguard public and crowded spaces against potential attacks. In addition, underlying and enduring issues in security have gained prominence, such as the increasing need to consider civil and ethical concerns and responsibilities of those conducting security, along with a clearer understanding of the social and operational contexts and practices of detecting crime.Many modern security activities embody the notion of complex socio-technical systems with people seeking to work together and use many different technologies to identify hostile intent and respond to security threats (Fussey, 2013). Quite often the focus is on the security stakeholders and security personnel who operate within specific security environments. However, it is also important to consider the user experience of the general public who may be subjected to security interventions during the course of their everyday activities.From this perspective the discipline of Human Factors and its focus on user-centred approaches has the power to inform new ways of thinking about security. The applied nature of Human Factors has only recently started to be incorporated into security research by combining aspects of applied psychology, systems design, and user experience approaches within the security domain (Saikayasit et al, 2013). In order to tackle hostile intent (in all its guises from low-level criminal behaviours through to large-scale terrorist attacks) and develop a socio-technical perspective for security solutions, Human Factors approaches have sought to integrate empirical research with applied methods and approaches grounded in the practical issues faced by security personnel in the field.With its focus on user-centred and socio-technical perspectives, the discipline of Human Factors has much to offer this endeavour, including:• an applied knowledge of psychology that can be applied to analyse suspicious behaviours in different contexts;