Over a month ago, the 2010 Verizon DBIR was released. I’m still reading through it, but wanted to point out a low and a high point on the report. The low point (and by low, I’m not saying a horrible point, but rather just the lowest point in an already excellent and needed report!) of the report is including a significant amount of US Secret Service data. While this may prove over the years to be a very good inclusion, for now the USSS data obviously influences the percentages and totals. Of course, Verizon’s data set itself may have influences…so maybe the answer is to get more and more contributors and USSS is just the first.
Now, the USSS dataset influence is addressed many times in the DBIR itself. Which actually brings up the high point: the presentation. I love the way this report is worded, almost conversationally. They are candid with the data, point out conclusions, and even fuzzy places where you should maybe take the resultant data with a grain of salt due to whatever reasons. I totally appreciate that! In past years, I could make some inferences from the data that were not covered in the text, but I feel like this year the authors did a great job of analyzing and conversing about the data. I don’t actually feel like I can or need to infer my own conclusions. (Granted, you have to read the text to get that point, as the figures/graphs themselves can be misconstrued when out of context, in some cases.)
Also, the cover has a hidden message again, this year. This continues to lend “geek cred” to this report, along with the conversationally honest writing.
“…so maybe the answer is to get more and more contributors and USSS is just the first.”
hmmmm maybe 🙂