What techniques or controls are available to data analysts and those who use the data provided by those experts to evaluate the quality and accuracy of the data upon which the analysis has been conducted?
According to Robinson (n.d), the vast amount of data available to us should allow for accountability and good decision-making, however that is not the case. Useful and actionable data must be provided in a way that is practical and easy to use. One can only make decision if the data received is accurate, and the quality of data is controlled; hence the use of data visualization. Jacobs and Rudis (2014), states that the enablement of quality control on the data is one of the advantages of utilizing data visualization. “Mistakes and errors in data collection or preparation can often be revealed through visualization. Data visualizations can serve as a good and quick sanity check on your work” (Jacobs & Rudis, 2014). Visualization analysis also allows for enhanced pattern recognition, as well as making obvious some issues (Lavigne & Gouin, 2014).
What are some ways in which math can be applied to support the work of the security professional?
Applying maths to cybersecurity come in the area of string analysis in cyber data. According to Metcalf and Casey (2016), when analyzing a problem, the overall goal is to use the cyber data to identify similarities in string representations, thus providing meaning results. Static, dynamic, and behavioral data, used in forensic or experimental analysis cannot be thoroughly done if not for the application of mathematics to strings. Hash functions are also another application of mathematics in cybersecurity, given that it deals with discrete string matching. In summary, cryptography which is central to cybersecurity, makes huge use of mathematics.
What resources are available to the security professional interested in leveraging math to engage in security related activities?
The American Mathematical society and the International Association for Cryptologic Research are two bodies where one can find resources for leveraging math in cybersecurity.
Reference
Jacobs, J. & Rudis, B. (2014). Data Driven Security: Analysis, Visualization and Dashboard. Somerset, NJ: Wiley.
Lavigne, V., & Gouin, D. (2014). Visual analytics for cyber security and intelligence. The Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation: Applications, Methodology, Technology, 11(2), 175–199.
Metcalf, L., & Casey, W. (2016). Cybersecurity And Mathematics. Cambridge, MA: Elsevier.
Robinson, I. (n.d) Data visualisation: Contributions to Evidence-Based Decision-Making. A SciDev.Net Learning Report. Retrieved on April 17, 2018 from https://social.shorthand.com/SciDevNet/3geA2Kw4B5c/data-visualisation-contributions-to-evidence-based-decision-making
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