Info Security with a Game Interface
February 25, 2014, RSA Conference, San Francisco—Dwayne Melancon from Tripwire presented the concept of games as the framework for security. Many of the user interfaces can use Diablo as the pattern for the UI.
Game players depend upon various de facto standards for game interfaces. The games have methods and models that provide the elements for success. Games have clear goals and levels of complexity. The goals include improving performance, getting advantages, recognize friends and enemies, and defend myself.
Most games have many ways to learn of your own capabilities; classes of people or actors, and balancing capabilities to find compensation for weaknesses. The interface includes lots of measurements for current status, potential status—what is needed to level up—and ancillary information of past and future adversaries. Together, they represent a benchmarking project with education.
Some of the data available includes categories. These categories encompass multiple inventories of capabilities, next goals, and progress on existing missions. Major missions are broken up into smaller milestones. The interfaces also allow you to keep your eye on your partners and the whole system provides timely feedback. This feedback is not the same as grinding for rewards.
Some information provides inventory and known limits. Some objective analysis is available to quantify threats and responses and advise on matches in those areas. Challenges are well defined and provide paths to advancement. In addition to the main game modes, there are practice modes and other guides available.
Games identify the elements needed for success and are configured to increase your chances of success while limiting risks. The various playing modes allow alignment of skill, technologies, strategies, tactics, and the evaluation of capabilities and functions. Models in the games provide information on existing and completed requirements, and help to align existing and future risks versus the available resources.
All of these functions are also used in information security. Instead of complex, confusing, single-point entries, a more integrated graphical interface can provides more information and show interrelationships and linkages across the entire security spectrum. The high-information displays are built into $50 games, so why can’t similar fully encompassing views be built into security tools?
Gaming and education people are researching various issues related to user interfaces. New tools and apps are starting to integrate more information, even from other apps, to provide a comprehensive picture of a security posture.
