423 Security by design and user context

Design software that is secure by default, resistant to misuse, and tailored to the needs of real users.

Overview

Security is most effective when it is built into the design of a system, rather than added as an afterthought. This section explores how software can be structured to enforce security automatically, using principles such as least privilege, modularity, and safe defaults.

It also highlights the importance of user context—how human behaviour, experience, and trust affect the security of a system. Good security design protects users even when they make mistakes or don’t understand the system completely.

Students will explore architectural strategies, technical protections like cryptography and sandboxing, and how to account for user experience in security decisions.

Targets

In this section, students learn to:

• Apply core security design principles during software planning

• Use technical mechanisms like cryptography and sandboxing to enforce isolation and protection

• Evaluate how user capability and context influence the design of secure systems