The numbers were confidential. The address wasn't.

How it came about.

The goal was sensible: all the important numbers in one place. The key figures from day-to-day business, plus the objectives and key results – KPIs and OKRs.

The dashboard was built locally and then moved to a server on the network. It ran. But there was no access control.

So everything was openly visible as soon as someone found out the address.

What we did.

The goal was for the numbers to stay where they belong – with the people they are meant for.

1. Checked reachability: Where can the dashboard be reached from, and what can you see without signing in? Only this picture shows how big the gap is.
2. Closed access: The dashboard is now only reachable for authorized people. Anyone who wants to see the numbers has to identify themselves.
3. Verified the effect: Without authorization, nothing is visible anymore – not even if you know the address.

Now only the people they are meant for can see the numbers.

What others can learn from it.

An address is not a password. What is reachable on the internet isn't protected just because nobody is supposed to know the link – addresses get passed on, guessed or found.

Before an internal tool moves to a server, one question belongs on the table: Who is allowed to see this – and how do we make sure only those people see it?