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Identifying Implicit Vulnerabilities Through Personas as Goal Models

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Computer Security (CyberICPS 2020, SECPRE 2020, ADIoT 2020)

Abstract

When used in requirements processes and tools, personas have the potential to identify vulnerabilities resulting from misalignment between user expectations and system goals. Typically, however, this potential is unfulfilled as personas and system goals are captured with different mindsets, by different teams, and for different purposes. If personas are visualised as goal models, it may be easier for stakeholders to see implications of their goals being satisfied or denied, and designers to incorporate the creation and analysis of such models into the broader RE tool-chain. This paper outlines a tool-supported approach for finding implicit vulnerabilities from user and system goals by reframing personas as social goal models. We illustrate this approach with a case study where previously hidden vulnerabilities based on human behaviour were identified.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The case study CAIRIS model is available from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3979236.

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Correspondence to Shamal Faily .

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Faily, S., Iacob, C., Ali, R., Ki-Aries, D. (2020). Identifying Implicit Vulnerabilities Through Personas as Goal Models. In: Katsikas, S., et al. Computer Security. CyberICPS SECPRE ADIoT 2020 2020 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12501. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64330-0_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64330-0_12

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