Verena Distler

I am an assistant professor at Aalto University, where I lead the Research Group Humans, Security and Privacy.

I conduct research at the intersection of psychology, human-computer interaction, and security/privacy. My interdisciplinary research examines human resilience to deception and risk in digital environments.

My research interests are:

• Human experiences of digital deception, including social engineering, misinformation, and related online manipulation.

• Design and evaluation of user-centered technologies that support critical judgment, informed choices, and user autonomy.

• Behaviors in response to security technologies and interventions.

Before joining Aalto, I worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at UniBw M in Munich. I earned my Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Luxembourg, during which I also completed a research stay at CMU’s Cylab. I also hold a master’s degree in social sciences from the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon in France.

Below, you find a selection of recent publications. In general, important publications venues include Computers in Human Behavior, CHI, ToCHI, IEEE S&P. The complete list of publications is available on Google Scholar.