Computer network visualization [Guest Editorial

Abstract

Computer networks are dynamic, growing, and continually evolving. As complexity grows, it becomes harder to effectively communicate to human decision-makers the results of methods and metrics for monitoring networks, classifying traffic, and identifying malicious or abnormal events. Network administrators and security analysts require tools that help them understand, reason about, and make decisions about the information their analytic systems produce. To this end, information visualization and visual analytics hold great promise for making the information accessible, usable, and actionable by taking advantage of human perceptual abilities. Information visualization techniques help network administrators and security analysts to quickly recognize patterns and anomalies; visually integrate heterogeneous data sources; and provide context for critical events.