Using physiological cues to measure data sensitivity and implement security on a user device

#With the proliferation of interconnected computer devices collecting personal information from users, the concepts of security and privacy are becoming more important. Research has shown that a person engaging in sensitive or private actions experiences different emotions than when engaging in non-sensitive or public behavior, even if the actions are being experienced passively. In addition, data or activities that are considered private by one person may not be considered private by another person. Thus it may be difficult to measure or define private data or private activities. Concepts like differential privacy may relate only to specific applications (e.g., the privacy of data records in a database) and may not contextualize the sensitivity of the same set of data having different privacy sensitivities in varying settings.

#The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

#In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for using physiological cues to measure data sensitivity and implement security on a user device may be performed by a computer device including one or more processors. The method may include obtaining data associated with a first physiological state of a user engaged in a first activity on a user device, obtaining data associated with a second physiological state of the user engaged in a second activity on the user device, where the second activity is determined to be more sensitive to the user than the first activity, and where the second physiological state indicates the user's emotional response to the second activity, and implementing a security action on the user device based on the second physiological state of the user engaged in the second activity.

#Embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates an example system configured for using physiological cues to measure data sensitivity and implement security on a user device;

#FIG. 2 illustrates an example method for using physiological cues to measure data sensitivity and implement security on a user device; and

#A person's sensitivity to privacy and security increases when he feels the presence of another person, whether directly or indirectly. For example, if a person is looking at sensitive data on a user device, such as personal financial data, the person's sensitivity to the privacy of the data may be increased if he feels or sees another person walking nearby or walking towards him, the sound of a door opening or closing, the sound of footsteps, the smell of another person, etc. The person's physiological response may manifest itself by increased heart rate, sweat, change in facial expressions, increased breathing, etc.

#In response to these physiological changes, the person may try to protect the privacy of the data being presented on his device by shifting the position of himself to block a display of the device, closing a display of the device (such as a laptop display) completely or slightly to block a view of the display, physically dimming a display of a device or minimizing a window on a display of a device, turning off sound on a device, etc. Thus, there may be a connection between a person's physiological reactions to the presence of another person, and the person's behavior when engaging in sensitive activities on a user device.

#In many, if not all cases, a person's expected rational behavior may not be in line with what a person's brain perceives. Thus, even if a person may think he is not sensitive to the presence of another person, the person's physiology may change regardless, indicating a subconscious sensitivity. Thus, the embodiments disclosed herein may detect physiological changes in a person with regard to a set of a data in a specific time, and may automatically implement a security action on a user device based on the detection of the physiological changes.