Sociotechnical Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP)
Live blog of the Conference on Sociotechnical Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP2026) which is a new conference this year created by merging EuroUSEC and STAST. The conference is being …
☕️Kami Vaniea
(she/her)
Associate Professor
I am an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) where I head the Technology Usability Lab in Privacy and Security (TULiPS). The goal of my research is to make security and privacy technologies more accessible for a wide range of users including end users, developers, and system administrators. I believe that technology should support people in their activities. My recent projects include topics like patch management, developer-centered privacy, phishing, online anonymity, smart speaker privacy, and privacy on social media.
Lab and Group Associations
I am affiliated with several groups at the University of Waterloo and University of Edinburgh:
Research Topics
Access Control · Phishing · Privacy ·
Software Updates · Smart Speakers ·
Developer-Centered Privacy · Authentication
Recent Publications
(2026).
There’s a (pot)hole in your privacy policy: Privacy Concerns in Canadian Problem-Reporting Websites.
Conference on Sociotechnical Cybersecurity and Privacy.
(2026).
Composition of Access Control Schemes via Co-Existence: Three Case-Studies.
Proceedings of the 31st ACM Symposium on Access Control Models and Technologies.
(2026).
AI-Enhanced Email Security: A Novel Pipeline for Phishing Campaign Detection and Profiling.
ACM Transactions on Internet Technology (TOIT) Special Issue on Human-AI Collaboration in Security Operations Centres.
(2025).
Why do They Need to Know I Spotted a Pothole? Privacy Issues in Canadian Municipal Problem Reporting Websites.
Mensch und Computer 2025 - Workshopband.
(2025).
SoK: Grouping Spam and Phishing Email Threats for Smarter Security.
In IEEE Access.
Experience
Associate Professor
University of Waterloo
Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Director of the Technology Usability Lab in Privacy and Security (TULiPS). Research focuses on human factors in security and privacy, including developer-centered privacy, phishing, software updates, and smart-speaker privacy.
Honorary Fellow
University of Edinburgh
Honorary role supporting the supervision and completion of remaining PhD students following departure from the University of Edinburgh.
Reader (Associate Professor) of Cyber Security and Privacy
University of Edinburgh
Conducted research, supervised graduate students, taught courses, participated in ethics panels, served as Deputy Director of the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, and served as Director of Equality and Diversity. Promoted to Associate Professor in August 2023.
Assistant Professor
Indiana University Bloomington
Faculty member in the School of Informatics and Computing, conducting research and teaching in usable security and privacy.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Michigan State University
Postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Media and Information, conducting research on the human factors of security and access control systems.
Education
PhD Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
BS Computer Science
Oregon State University
Recent Posts
Symposium on Usable Security and Privacy - Day 3
Liveblog of Day 2 of SOUPS, featuring sessions on: Usable Security Mechanisms & Emerging Threats; Scams, Fraud & Misinformation; GenAI Privacy & Risks; and ecurity Advice & …
Address Information
200 University Ave W., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1
Davis Center 2532