As part of class project here at Ga. Tech, we are designing/implementing a new (graphical) interface for the program PGP, Pretty Good Privacy. To do this well, we need information about the potential user community of such an interface, and the pros/cons of the existing PGP interface... thus we are sending out this questions As mentioned in the survey, the data collected will be kept confidential, and we encourage the replies to this survey to be sent via anonymous remailers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CS 6144 Design Project User Questionnaire The following questionnaire is for a Computer Science Class project assignment. The information that you provide will be used for designing a computer interface for an electronic mail enhancement. Data collected in this survey will be kept STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL and will only be reported in an aggregated form. We would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to complete it. Completed questionnaires, or any questions you may have concerning this questionnaire may be mailed to iansmith@cc.gatech.edu. Please complete it and return it as soon as possible. Thank you very much for your time and cooperation. Please mark an 'X' under the column that most closely describes your response. ------------------------------------------------------------------- GENERAL COMPUTER USAGE ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. How often do you use: Frequently Occasionally Seldomly 3 2 1 a. a computer --- --- --- b. Electronic Mail --- --- --- 2. Do you use a computer for: Yes No a. business use? --- --- b. personal use? --- --- c. file transfer? --- --- 3. In what type of environment do you MOST OFTEN use a computer? (Please mark only ONE of the following) Use Most LAN (Local Area Network): --- WAN (Wide Area Network e.g.Internet): --- Laptop or Portable WITH a modem: --- Laptop or Portable WITHOUT a modem: --- Stand alone PC (not a laptop) WITH a modem: --- Stand alone PC (not a laptop) WITHOUT a modem: --- Other (please specify): _________________________________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ELECTRONIC MAIL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Which of the following interfaces do you most often use for electronic mail (e-mail)? Use Most Text only interface: --- Graphical only interface: --- Combination (text and graphical): --- Other (please specify): ------------------------------- 5. Do you ever send e-mail messages you ONLY want the recipient(s) to read? Often Sometimes Seldomly Never 3 2 1 0 --- --- --- --- 6. Have you ever had occasion to believe a mail message you recieved was forged? Yes No --- --- 7. When sending/receiving e-mail, how much additional time would you be willing to spend to: Less than 5 to 30 30 sec. More than 5 seconds seconds to a minute a minute Digitially 'sign' your message: --- --- --- --- Authenticate the sender: --- --- --- --- Prevent eavesdropping: --- --- --- --- 8. Does the amount of time you would be willing to spend in the previous question depend on: Yes No Person the info was being sent to: --- --- Your workload at the time: --- --- Contents of the mail/msg: --- --- 9. Encryption is a common method of protecting information transmitted. The basic mechanism works as follows: The information or message (text) is encoded from its initial readable form, to an internal form by means of a 'key'. This internal text form (ciphertext), although readable, does not make any sense. To make sense of the cipher text, the receiver must decode it (with a 'key') back into its initial readable form. If the encoded information is accessed by an unauthorized person, it will be useless unless it can be decoded (i.e. a person has a 'key' for it). Yes No 9A. Are you familiar with this concept? --- --- 9B. Have you ever used encryption? --- --- 9C. Have you ever encrypted files or mail? --- --- The following questions relate to specifics about encryption use. If you answered 'NO' to ANY of the three questions above (9A, 9B, or 9C), please skip to the Background Information Section (questions 19-23). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ENCRYPTION USERS ONLY ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 10. What encryption software have you used? PGP: --- Crypt: --- Other (please specify): ------------------------------- 11. Have you used the encryption software because Yes No You like it: --- --- It was the industry/school standard: --- --- It was the only one you had: --- --- It was used by others that you interract with: --- --- Industry/school required it be used: --- --- 12. Would you say the size of file(s) or message(s) you usually encrypt tend(s) to be: (4Kb+) (1Kb-4Kb) (100b-1Kb) (<100b) VERY large Large Medium Small --- --- --- --- 13. Have you ever spent multiple attempts trying to encrypt something? Yes No --- --- 14. What is the most common error you have encounterd trying to encrypt something? Most common error: ----------------------------------------------- 15. What is the frequency that you have made the following errors when encrypting something: Very often Sometimes Seldomly Never 3 2 1 0 Typing mistakes: --- --- --- --- Forgetting passwords: --- --- --- --- Misusing options/functions: --- --- --- --- Losing others' keys: --- --- --- --- Other (please specify): -------------------------------------- 16. Please rate the following features of encryption software in terms of the importance of the feature to you: Very Somewhat Not Very Not Important Important Important Important 3 2 1 0 Integration with other tools: --- --- --- --- Time it takes to encrypt: --- --- --- --- Time it takes to decrypt: --- --- --- --- Time it takes to digitally sign: --- --- --- --- Time it takes to authenticate: --- --- --- --- Distribution of 'Keys': --- --- --- --- Security of message contents: --- --- --- --- Other (please specify): ---------------------------------- 17. Please indicate which of the two attributes in each pair is MORE important to you: How long it takes ME vs. How long it takes the recipient --- --- Difficulty to encrypt vs. Security gained by encryption --- --- Security gained by encryption vs. Time it takes to encrypt --- --- 18. Overall, how satisfied are you with the encryption software that you use? Very Somewhat Not very Not at all Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied 3 2 1 0 --- --- --- --- (optional comments:) ------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 19. What is your age (in years)? ------------------ 20. Are you Male? Female? --- --- 21. What is the highest level of an educational degree that you hold? HS AA BA/BS MA/MS PhD other(specify) --- --- --- --- --- ------------------- Yes No 22. Are you currently a college student? --- --- 22a. If (YES) you are a student, what is your major field of study? Major: -------------------------------------------------- 22b. If (NO) you are NOT a student, what is your occupation? Occupation: --------------------------------------------------- 23. We welcome any additional comments that you might have. Please feel free to add any comments, questions, or suggestions in the space below: ===================================================================== THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COMPLETE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. (Please return it to iansmith@cc.gatech.edu as soon as possible.) ======================================================================