I strive to make technology more private and secure by studying and simplifying people's decisions.
I'm a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland, working with Michelle Mazurek and the SP2 Lab. I completed my PhD in computer science at UC Berkeley, where I was advised by David Wagner and Serge Egelman.
My research in usable security and privacy lies at the intersection of systems security and human-computer interaction. I use methods like surveys and interviews to understand how human factors contribute to privacy and security problems. I then design systems to overcome these challenges and empirically validate them with user studies and real-world deployments. I'm especially interested in addressing privacy threats from future technologies whose emergent nature makes the associated design space underspecified.
Currently, I'm working on privacy for the Internet of Things, improving the digital safety of at-risk users, and helping developers create more secure software.
Previous work has focused on privacy controls for always-listening devices, including smart speakers and smart TVs. I've also drawn on behavioral economics to help users make security decisions while avoiding cognitive biases. You can find more of my research here.
My teaching experience encompasses courses on computer security as well as CS theory and software engineering. I've also given guest lectures at Cornell Tech and Columbia/Barnard.
My professional service includes work on the program committees of USENIX Security (2023), IEEE Security & Privacy (2023), NDSS (2023), and SecHOPE (2023). I've also served as a reviewer for ACM CHI, PETS, ACM CCS, IMWUT/UbiComp, and others. Please consider submitting your work to these and other usable security venues!
Due to the existence of other Nathans Malkin, there's some chance you may not be looking for me at all! If that is the case, please accept my apologies and a picture of my cat.
