The XF Framework
Cybersecurity, Education, and Technological Mediation

Dr. Ryan Straight
Assistant Professor of Practice
Applied Computing & Cyber Operations

Agenda

The Plan for Today

1. Who’s this guy?
2. What’s “technological mediation?”
3. How does it relate to cybersecurity?

• Here’s the plan for today. At least, that’s the plan.
• I invite, I want folks to chime in.

Who is this guy?

Dr. Ryan Straight

Assistant Professor of Practice
Applied Computing & Cyber Operations
Lab Director
College of Applied Science and Technology
University of Arizona

©Herald/Review

Me

MA{VR}X Lab

Mixed Augmented ViRtual eXtended Reality Lab

• College’s first lab
• One year old
• Broad concept of XR
• Holographic video, NFTs, AR training, more.
• Cybersecurity education with XR

Lab info.

Postphenomenology

What is postphenomenology?

via GIPHY

1. “Post” as in the next phase, not after.
2. “phenomenology” is the study of experience.

• What is PP?
• Trad phenom: technology is to be “overcome”
• Pphenom: tech is to be understood as a mediating factor in experience

What is technological mediation?

Mediated intentionality

• Human intentionality is mediated by technology
• Binoculars, thermometers, A/C, etc.

via GIPHY

Our focus: hermeneutic relation

Hermenutic

human -> (technology - world)

Composite

human -> (technology -> world)

• We see how the technology sees the world, not just the result of the technology, like an X-ray.
• This is an infrared photograph of a cemetery. It makes visible to our eyes what only the technology can “see.” And there may or may not be a ghost here. I’m no Zak Bagens, though.
• This is in comparison to the x-ray, which lets us see what could otherwise still see just with different access.
• Now, how do we apply this to cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity Education and User Experience

Process

So think about this: person, technology, “world”

We presume that what we see or read is an accurate representation of the world.

Enigma point-ish

What if between the tech and the world is compromised?

Cyclicality

This creates a feedback loop

And the presumption here is that the world you’re looking for or at is as advertised, right?

Tension

So here we have this “space” that others can impact to their own gain.

And that brings us to “fidelity:” is the world you’re “seeing” an accurate representation of the world that you’re intending to engage with?

The Gatekeeper

So it’s not just mediation, there’s an aspect of gatekeeping involved.

That is, the higher your understanding of how cybersecurity works, the better the security posture of your system, and so on, the more likely you are to be able to access what you want.

Fidelity

Via Malwarebytes

Would the “average” user notice the difference here? Heck, would you?

Savings Throws

For the D&D folks, we can even think of it as a savings throw, pitting the influence of external agents against your mental and literal firewall.

You have a level of skill. There’s one of those external agents trying to break down the fidelity between what you expect and what you get. As the agent’s skill and whatnot increases, the better your throw has to be, right?

Bringing it All Together

The XF Framework

So, we have an intention and it’s directed at the technology.

For example, “I’m instructing the computer to get me my bank balance” or “I’m instructing the computer to let me talk to another person.”

We’re assuming the fidelity of what we get back–an actual person who is who they claim to be, or my bank balance safely–is high. At least, that’s what we want.

But as the influence of an external agent increases, the fidelity of the world we’re receiving goes down. The other person could be catfishing. The bank’s website might be compromised.

At this point, the intention of the external agent is having an impact on the world you’re experiencing.

Their intention returns back to you through the technology.

Cybersecurity education, system security, and so on,

What about you?