Daniel Elice

In one of my previous roles, I was tasked with creating a candy bar chart to describe the state of security of our client’s computer network. It turned out to be a fantastic way to visualize complex security concepts in a simple and engaging manner.

The Candy Bar Chart: A Tasty Analogy

Security can often feel like an abstract concept, difficult to grasp for those not steeped in the technical details. To make it more accessible, we used different types of candy to represent various levels of network security.

Gummy Bears: The Mushy Middle

Gummy bears are fun, colorful, and delicious – but they’re also soft and easily squished. In our candy bar chart, gummy bears represented weak security. Just like how a gummy bear can be squished with little effort, a network with weak security measures can be easily breached. This analogy highlighted the vulnerabilities and the lack of strong defenses.

Jolly Ranchers: Hard All Around

Jolly Ranchers, on the other hand, are known for their hard shell and solid interior. They take effort to break and require persistence to get through. In our chart, Jolly Ranchers represented strong security. This candy analogy emphasized the importance of defense in depth – a concept where multiple layers of security work together to protect the network from attacks. Just like how biting into a Jolly Rancher is a challenge, penetrating a well-secured network requires significant effort and resources.

Why This Approach Worked

Using candy to illustrate security concepts was more than just a creative exercise. It made the abstract tangible and provided a clear metaphor that resonated with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.