Exploring reactive access control

As users store and share more digital content at home, effective access control becomes increasingly important. One promising mechanism for helping non-expert users create accurate access policies is reactive policy creation, in which users can update their policy dynamically in response to access requests that cannot otherwise succeed. An earlier study suggested that reactive policy creation may be a good fit for file access control at home. To test this theory, we designed and piloted an experience sampling study in which participants used a simulated reactive access control system for a week. Preliminary results suggest a neutral to positive response to using this kind of system and indicate that reactive policy creation may help meet users' need for dynamic, contextual policy decisions.