TAPESTRY is a three-year project investigating how users build trusting relationships online, and considering the factors that influence trust behaviour. Working in collaboration with researchers from the University of Surrey and Northumbria University, the overall aim of the project is to develop new technologies that enhance secure connectivity online. By incorporating digital trails of a user’s interactions, TAPESTRY proposes to utilise information gathered from social media to authenticate identity online, as a demonstration of trustworthiness to other users.
The Dundee strand of this research will focus on understanding the existing mechanisms employed by users in assessing trustworthiness online. By understanding the factors influencing trust behaviour, the research will demonstrate how this might be manipulated by malicious individuals. Drawing on insights from the fields of Human Computer Interaction and Psychology, this addresses some major concerns in cyber security – specifically, fraud and false identity. The research places emphasis on the role of social psychological factors, such as identity and social norms, on the development of trusting relationships. Findings will be used to inform the design of user-centric security solutions that enhance secure connectivity online.