Even though I speak German, my dialect betrays me in Saarbrücken. It is hardly possible to avoid the question where I am from. The answer — Vienna — usually results in an astonished “Why?”. The subtext of that question, i.e., why would someone leave a beautiful city to move to this place in the middle of nowhere, is usually left implied rather than said out aloud. I do not understand that sentiment. Saarland is a historically fascinating part of Germany, and while Saarbrücken is small, it does not feel like I am missing out.

Anyway, after I received a master's degree in computer engineering from TU Wien in 2018, I moved to Saarbrücken to start my Ph.D. As a doctoral researcher at CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, I work on Usable Privacy and Security with Katharina Krombholz. While my research interests fluctuate, I seem to come back again and again to three overarching topics: (1) Understanding users' secure experiences in the face of ambiguous or ineffectual security (i.e., security theater); (2) Social Cybersecurity, trying to understand how users cooperate and depend on each other to improve their privacy and security; (3) Surveillance Capitalism, how users perceive it and how researchers may help fight it; and (4) Designing appropriate, practical, supportive, and effective security and privacy mechanisms that users can enjoy.

Recently published work includes a CHI 2021 paper on the design of secure messaging authentication ceremonies, an alt.chi paper “Stop the Consent Theater” on the ad industry's misuse of cookie banners on the web, and a SOUPS 2021 paper on design directions for secure authentication on voice assistants.

Currently, I am looking for industry internships and academic postdoc opportunities. To find out more about me, look at my CV, follow me on Twitter, or subscribe to my Google Scholar profile.