Case Study: Security

A large, fast-food chain unveiled a new touch screen register for its franchises. Each cashier was assigned a user id and password combination to log in to the register. The system allowed the incorrect password to be entered four (4) times before the register would lock and require a manager to unlock it with a key card. To prevent unauthorized access, the registers would lock after three (3) minutes if the screen was not touched. When the register locked, only the cashier who was logged in prior to it locking could unlock it without a system restart.

After a few days in operation, restaurant managers started complaining about the amount of time they were spending unlocking the registers. Some cashiers were forgetting their user Id and password, so other cashiers would log in for them. It also seemed that the button layout made it easy for the cashiers to key in the incorrect password. The managers also complained that cashiers would leave for a break or end their shift and forget to log out of the locked register. The managers would have to reboot the system, a three to five (3-5) minute process in order for the next cashier to log in. Additionally, managers noticed that grease was building up on the touch screens, making them less responsive.

Write a five to eight (5-8) page paper in which you: 

1. Analyze the new system and determine the design issues with this new system.

2. Describe how you would correct the design issues with the system to make the restaurant managers happy.

3. Create a design plan that:

• Lists and explains the tasks associated with improving this interface.
• Contains at least six (6) tasks.
• Includes realistic time estimates for each task to be completed.
• Analyzes the development of the system in your plan.
• Analyzes the testing of the system in your plan.
• Analyzes the implementation of the system in your plan.

4. Examine how this system balanced security and usability, and explain the challenges of incorporating system security and system usability into a design.

5. Suggest changes that could be made to the security of this system to still meet security objectives but make the system more usable.

6. Use Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative, Dia, to create a graphical representation of your proposed interface. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.

7. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Describe the usability properties of interactive systems.
• Describe the inherent design issues across HCI environments
• Develop an interface '
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in human-computer interaction.
• Write clearly and concisely about HCI topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.