Using Benchmarking to Make Better Security Decisions. Part 1: What Is Benchmarking and Why Is It Useful?
Abstract
Betsy Nichols: Okay, great. Well, I suppose the shortest definition for benchmarking is just to define a point of reference for measurement. So metrics, of course, are all about measurement and benchmarking is all about really making comparisons. One type of comparison is a best practice type comparison, where essentially you're saying, "Here's a definition of perfection," and you're trying to define some measurement as to how far you may deviate from it. Another is more of a normative kind of benchmark, where what you're doing is measuring a group of people and saying "What's typical and am I above or below the mean or in a certain percentile?" So that's one variant. There are other variations on benchmarks that have to do with timing. For example, some people do benchmarking in real time in order to detect anomalies from a norm and take corrective action. Another is a more sort of strategic application where what you're trying to do is find out norms over time and use benchmarks to make better decisions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- AD1147304
Entities
People
- Betsy Nichols
- Julia H. Allen
Organizations
- Carnegie Mellon University