What is data visualization?

When you see a puzzle jumbled in a box, each piece looks virtually meaningless. Once you organize the pieces and group them where they need to be, you get a much better idea of the big picture and each piece's purpose. Puzzle pieces are the symbolic equivalent of data. Alone, its worth to an organization is limited, but when put together in an organized manner, they tell a bigger story and reveal key information. This is the foundation of data visualization.

Data visualization is the process of converting data into visuals like charts, graphs, and dashboards so that users can better make sense of the data that resides across their organization and use it to make new insights. By combining data visualization with data discovery, organizations can better support a data-driven culture, boost visibility, and reduce response times to privacy or security-related incidents. Below we will address some of the top benefits of data visualization. 

Benefits of Data Visualization

• See the big picture - Data visualization is one way to get a big-picture view of where all of your data resides and who has access to it.
• Make better business decisions - Visuals allow you to quickly identify trends and outliers that drive better decision-making. Utilizing visualization tactics also reduces the time that may have previously been spent on the analytics phase.
• Present meaningful insights - Employees from all aspects of a business handle and consume company data. Visuals are a powerful way to present findings in a way that is intuitive for the target audience, from computer scientists, to project managers to C-suite personas.
• Identify PII - Data visualization enables you to see precisely where the PII in your organization resides; from there, you can decide if keeping this PII is necessary or if you can discard this information. Sometimes purging information is the most straightforward action to cut data storage costs and keep customer data safe. Malicious actors cannot steal what is not available.
• Ensure compliance - Visualized data can serve as a map of where all your organization's data resides, which enables you to be prepared in case a data breach or privacy indecent occurs. It also allows you to proactively see where vulnerable data exists so your organization can safeguard it and remain in data compliance.

Types of Data Visualization

While many of us are familiar with line graphs and pie charts for data visualization, there are countless other ways to curate data into digestible stories. This could be through the use of maps, infographics, or dashboards as data visualization tools. 

Dashboards are particularly useful as data is typically visualized across separate charts (or graphs), giving users the flexibility to choose the best chart to present each piece of data. Many modern dashboards are interactive and allow users to customize the data sets being shown and depict the various stages data may go through as processes evolve in a business. Leaning into dashboards to get a holistic view of an organization's strengths and gaps is a strategic move to enhance operational efficiency and support company goals. Ground Labs is a trusted partner, which gives partners dashboard capabilities.

Using Ground Labs for Data Visualization

Data visualization is a more effective way to understand big data than manual analysis of raw data. However, your organization still needs the proper tools and partners to make data visualization a reality. Ground Labs’ Enterprise Recon allows organizations to locate over 300 data types. The Risk Dashboard in Enterprise Recon helps organizations achieve data visualization with an overview of the risks surrounding sensitive data across your organization, all in one place. The Risk Dashboard summarizes key information, including high-risk target locations and the risk level trend over time, allowing you to easily monitor, prioritize and manage the sensitive data risks across your organization.

If you’re ready to see the story your data is telling, schedule a meeting with an expert today.