How to create a visual dashboard
In this video, we're going to have a bit of fun!
We'll create a visual security story.
Here's the scenario:
The operations manager, one of the stakeholders we previously discussed, has been informed that the Chief Information Security Officer, also known as the CISO,
wants to know how many employees are often clicking on phishing emails.
The goal is to identify which five departments click on those emails most often.
An investigation reveals that the five departments that most frequently click on phishing emails are: human resources, customer service, global security, media relations, and professional development.
Based on this information, the security team can create a visual representation of the data to share with the operations manager and the CISO.
Those stakeholders and the security team can then work together to determine how to address the issue.
There are many different platforms available that can be used to create and share visual stories of data.
Apache OpenOffice is a free, open-source office suite that allows users to create spreadsheets and other visual representations.
Another no cost option is Google Sheets.
Today, we'll enter our data into Google Sheets.
Then, we'll create a bar chart visualization to develop the data story.
If you don't have a Google account, you'll need to create one.
Let's start by demonstrating how to create an account.
First, go to Google.com
And click on: Sign in
Click: Create account
And select: For my personal use
Then, complete each step to create your personal account.
Now that you've created your Google account, it's time for us to begin creating our Google Sheets bar chart visualization.
Click: the dots menu in the top right corner
Click: the Sheets icon
Click: Blank to start a new spreadsheet
Select: Cell A1, Type: Department
Select: Cell B1, Type: # of clicked phishing emails
Select: Cell A2, Type: Human Resources
Select: Cell B2, Type: 30
Select: Cell A3, Type: Customer Service
Select: Cell B3, Type: 18
Select: Cell A4, Type: Global Security
Select: Cell B4, Type: 10
Select: Cell A5, Type: Media Relations
Select: Cell B5, Type: 40
Select: Cell A6, Type: Professional Development
Select: Cell B6, Type: 27
Then, select: the rows and columns containing headers, department names,
and data.
Click: Insert at the top of the sheet
Select: Chart
In the Chart editor menu, click: Chart type drop-down menu,
scroll down to the bar chart options.
Then, select: the first bar chart
In the Chart editor menu, click: Customize
Then, click on the: Chart & axis titles section.
Now, update the title to read something like: Clicked phishing emails by department, or another title related to the data.
Then, Click on the: x icon at the top of the chart editor to close the editor menu.
Great job creating your first visual security story!
Creating visual stories of data allow security team members to convey essential information to stakeholders,
so issues can be communicated in a meaningful and understandable way.
These data stories can also help promote a better understanding of issues that exist within an organization and allow decision makers to determine how to address security issues that put the organization at risk.