A Mixed-Methods Investigation of XR Security Warnings—Lessons Learned

As immersive XR environments become more prevalent, timely and effective security warnings are essential to protect users from cyberattacks that compromise performance and well-being. This paper investigates how users perceive and respond to in-headset alerts triggered during Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. We developed a real-time warning system and evaluated its effectiveness across three pilot studies (<tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$n$</tex> = 46) in healthcare and industrial training scenarios. Using self-report measures (IDSQ, SAM) and behavioural categorization, we assessed alert comprehension, urgency perception, and user action. We distil three design lessons emphasizing the importance of visual salience, modality coordination, and urgency calibration. These findings offer practical guidance for designing effective XR security notifications that support user awareness and action during immersive threats.