It All Starts with Pictures
Many of us started learning using picture books before we started reading as children. The reality is, our brains are still forming images in our minds even when we are reading text as adults. The human mind is designed to process visual information and we process visual information significantly faster than text and numbers. In fact, according to a study by the University of Minnesota, human brains process visuals 60,000 times faster than they do text. So, it appears a picture is really worth 60,000 words. And, as we have heard many times, 93% of communication is non-verbal (source: Ubiquity). The science behind all of this is rather straight forward. The part of the brain that processes visual information (occipital lobe) works much faster than the part of the brain that processes text and numbers (temporal lobe). So, when visual information is presented along with other data, both parts of the brain can work in parallel increasing processing speed (and decision-making) dramatically.
Data visualization can be incredibly powerful when consuming large quantities of information with the intent of making informed decisions. In the domain of open source risk management, this is an effective way to understand the most critical risks that can be buried many levels deep within a transitive dependency map of a software system.
Data, Data Everywhere and Not an Insight to Spare
We are awash in data in every aspect of our lives today, especially in the world of business. Ninety percent of the data in our world today was created in just the last two years alone. (source: Domo) And, many of us grew up consuming this data in a world of Excel tables and charts. However, the market for more advanced data visualization is growing fast due to the science described above. According to IDC, visual data discovery tools will grow 150% faster than the rest of the BI market. And, organizations that adopt advanced data visualization solutions are forecasted to have a significant competitive advantage in their respective industries.
To prove the power of data visualization let’s perform a very simple experiment. Take out your smartphone and launch a stopwatch app. Then, using the table below time yourself on how long it takes you to identify how many components in this table have a High license risk:
Now, reset the stopwatch and this time use the image below and time yourself on how long it takes you to identify how many components in this dashboard have a High license risk (represented by red bubbles):
This is just a wild guess on my part, but I am going to assume you were much faster the second time even though there were more High risk components to count. Obviously, this is an overly simplistic example, but imagine trying this with hundreds of components.
A Visual Map of Open Source Dependencies
The business applications for data visualization are limitless, but let’s take a closer look at a tangible example in the realm of software intelligence. CAST recently introduced the OSS Dependency Map in the latest release of its CAST Highlight product.
The number of open source components within a typical business application can be significant. According to IDG, the average enterprise software application contains 73 3rd party components. In an enterprise that has several hundred applications in the portfolio, this translates into thousands of components to manage. Imagine trying to sift through a table with 10,000+ rows to spot potential security vulnerabilities, license policy violations, or obsolete components. Although CAST Highlight already provides tabular reports and a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), the new OSS Dependency Map adds a data visualization dashboard to help users quickly identify potential risks due to open source software and make much quicker decisions on where to focus remediation efforts.
New Visual OSS Dependency Map in CAST Highlight
This is just one of the innovations introduced in the latest release of CAST Highlight. To learn more about the Winter 2025 release of CAST Highlight, view this post.
SHARE