Use Cases for Visualizing Uncertain Computer Networks
Jonathan W. Decker, Mark A. Livingston, Stephen Russell, Paul Hyden · 2011
Abstract : Network administration has become an extremely complex task. As wireless devices have become more commonplace, along with varied resources such as web servers, storage devices, autonomous sensors, and printers, the network becomes more dynamic and it becomes harder to keep track of all the machines and users present. This becomes even more pressing when a user engages in deceptive practices for the purposes of launching an attack on the network resources. Such users deliberately obfuscate their identity, creating a level of uncertainty about the network. Most networking tools characterize trends in variables of interest with assorted two-dimensional statistical graphics and node-link diagrams. Users are often forced to navigate through various contextual combinations during the process of inspection, investigation, or hypothesis testing. While network monitoring and exploration tools abound, few visualize uncertainty in a complex network administration task.