Barrett Caldwell is a professor of industrial engineering and runs the Group Performance Environments Research (GROUPER) Laboratory. His research focuses on human factors in engineering and team performance. Ida Ngambeki is an assistant professor of computer and information technology. Her research includes cybersecurity education and policy, such as how social and psychological factors influence cybersecurity choices, and social engineering.

Caldwell says technology forces us to make decisions, but we’re not thinking of those decisions with the consequences and tradeoffs in mind. For example, when you download an app and give it permission to access your location, that’s usually done without much thought. Caldwell says, however, that you’re trading security and control for accessibility and ease.

“When you download an app for a store that gives you discounts, but you give it access to your location, that’s a tradeoff,” Caldwell says. “You get convenience and money saved, but you’ve consented to give up privacy to the company without your control.”

Your first piece of advice: Think about what you’re giving away in exchange for the product you’re receiving.