Data Privacy and Sociotechnical Cybersecurity - College of Information (INFO)

Data Privacy and Sociotechnical Cybersecurity

Examining the human context of privacy and cybersecurity to develop real-world solutions.

Research Projects

Collaborative Research: ER2: Developing Educational Resources for the Ethical Use of Pervasive Data
Principal Investigator(s): Jessica Vitak
Funder: National Science Foundation
Research Areas: Data Privacy and Sociotechnical Cybersecurity > Human-Computer Interaction > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Machine Learning, AI, Computational Linguistics, and Information Retrieval > Social Networks, Online Communities, and Social Media
This project develops educational resources and training to promote ethical practices in the collection, storage, and analysis of pervasive data from digital platforms. By creating case studies, interactive modules, and “train the trainer” programs, it aims to enhance responsible research practices among computing students and early-career researchers.
Inclusive ICT Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (TRACE RERC)
Principal Investigator(s): J. Bern Jordan Amanda Lazar Hernisa Kacorri
Funder: Health and Human Services
Research Areas: Accessibility and Inclusive Design > Data Privacy and Sociotechnical Cybersecurity > Human-Computer Interaction
This $4.6M TRACE RERC grant advances research and development to expand accessible information and communication technologies for people with disabilities.
Collaborative Research: SaTC: CORE: Medium: Supporting Privacy Negotiation Among Multiple Stakeholders in Smart Environments
Principal Investigator(s): Jessica Vitak
Funder: National Science Foundation
Research Areas: Data Privacy and Sociotechnical Cybersecurity
Internet-of-Things devices are increasingly used in shared spaces (e.g., homes, apartments, schools, hospitals, workplaces), and different stakeholders in these environments have unique privacy needs and expectations. This project investigates privacy negotiation behaviors in smart environments by designing, developing, and deploying an interactive system to collect people’s real-world privacy negotiation behaviors.

Recent News

Government surveillance agency and military joint operation agent working at system control center

Photo licensed by Adobe Stock

When the Feed Becomes the Front Line

Laurie Robinson - April 15, 2026
A new generation of AI tools is changing how analysts and aid workers make sense of war in real time—if they can learn to trust what …
Middle age woman using smartphone holding pills at home

Photo licensed by Adobe Stock

For Caregivers Making Over-the-Counter Medication Decisions Alone, Help May Be on the Way

Laurie Robinson - April 15, 2026
A new generation of AI tools is changing how analysts and aid workers make sense of war in real time—if they can learn to trust what …
Hand with implantation of micro chip. X-Ray view close-up.

Photo licensed by Adobe Stock via Oleg Breslavtsev

Fortune News: Washington State Wants to Keep Employers from Microchipping Workers, Before Anyone Even Gets the Idea (ft. Jessica Vitak)

INFO Staff - March 20, 2026
Professor Jessica Vitak highlights workplace surveillance risks as lawmakers move to ban employer-mandated microchipping tech