Abstract
We examine whether the use of Augmented Reality (AR) may aid the performance of network security operators (NSOs) performing time critical tasks. While attempting to achieve some primary goal, NSOs must continuously monitor and respond to a wide range of ancillary events which may impact mission performance. Responding to these additional events in a time sensitive manner introduces significant stress and impacts primary task performance. We conducted experiments with the Epson Moverio and Vuzix m100 head-mounted displays. Test subjects performed a simulated NSO exercise with and without AR glasses while simultaneously responding to randomly generated ancillary events. Test subjects using AR reported less overall mental demand, performed the primary task more quickly, and more often successfully responded to ancillary events within a required time. We find that AR devices are a promising aid for maintaining focus in primary network operations tasks while reducing overall stress load.
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Acknowledgements
The research described in this paper was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) through Applied Communication Sciences (ACS). The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government.
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Beitzel, S., Dykstra, J., Huver, S., Kaplan, M., Loushine, M., Youzwak, J. (2016). Cognitive Performance Impact of Augmented Reality for Network Operations Tasks. In: Nicholson, D. (eds) Advances in Human Factors in Cybersecurity. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 501. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41932-9_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41932-9_12
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