Scott Ruoti

I take an interdisciplinary approach to research, applying research methods from diverse areas ranging from applied cryptography to human-computer interaction. For example, when I begin investigating a new problem, I first collaborate with application-domain experts and conduct user studies of stakeholders to identify key requirements and design constraints. Next, I design cryptographic protocols and develop proof-of-concept prototypes that address identified needs. Third, I conduct empirical evaluations to ensure that these prototypes satisfy the stakeholder requirements and stay within the identified design constraints in real-world usage. Critically, these evaluations include both technical evaluations—such as measuring latency or demonstrating the ability to stop an attack—and user-centered evaluations—such as usability testing and longitudinal studies. Notably, I am one of only a few researchers who takes such a holistic approach to security research.