Threat Modeling - arnabutilities/rbac-frontend GitHub Wiki

What is Threat Modeling?

Threat modeling is a systematic approach to identifying and addressing potential security threats to a system. It helps organizations understand the various ways an application, system, or network can be attacked and plan defenses accordingly. This process is essential in the design and development phases to mitigate risks and enhance security.

Key Components of Threat Modeling

  1. Asset Identification:

    • Determine what needs protection. This can include data, software, hardware, and intellectual property.

  2. Threat Identification:

    • Identify potential threats that could exploit vulnerabilities in the system. Common threats include malware, phishing, social engineering, and insider threats.

  3. Vulnerability Identification:

    • Find weaknesses that could be exploited by threats. These vulnerabilities might be in software, hardware, network configurations, or even human processes.

  4. Risk Assessment:

    • Assess the potential impact of each threat exploiting a vulnerability. This involves considering the likelihood and severity of each threat.

  5. Mitigation Strategies:

    • Develop and implement strategies to mitigate the identified risks. This can include applying patches, changing configurations, implementing security policies, and training staff.

Threat Modeling Methodologies

  1. STRIDE:

    • Developed by Microsoft, STRIDE stands for Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, and Elevation of Privilege. This model helps in identifying specific types of threats.

  2. DREAD:

    • A risk assessment model that stands for Damage potential, Reproducibility, Exploitability, Affected users, and Discoverability. It helps prioritize threats based on their potential impact.

  3. PASTA:

    • Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis (PASTA) is a risk-centric approach that models potential attackers and their methods.

  4. Attack Trees:

    • A hierarchical diagram representing how an attack can be carried out, with the root being the main goal and the leaves being the different ways to achieve it.

  5. Kill Chain:

    • Developed by Lockheed Martin, the Kill Chain model outlines the stages of a cyber attack and helps in understanding and disrupting the attack process.

Steps in Threat Modeling

  1. Define Security Objectives:

    • Establish what the system should protect and the security goals.

  2. Create an Architecture Overview:

    • Document the system architecture, including data flow diagrams, network diagrams, and system components.

  3. Decompose the Application:

    • Break down the system into smaller components to understand how they interact and where data flows.

  4. Identify Threats:

    • Use threat modeling methodologies like STRIDE to identify potential threats for each component and interaction.

  5. Document and Rate Threats:

    • Record identified threats and assess their risk level using models like DREAD.

  6. Mitigate Threats:

    • Develop and implement countermeasures to address the identified threats.

  7. Validate and Iterate:

    • Continuously review and update the threat model to address new threats and changes in the system.

Benefits of Threat Modeling

  • Proactive Security:

    • Identifies potential threats early in the development cycle, allowing for timely mitigations.

  • Cost-Effective:

    • Reduces the cost of fixing vulnerabilities by addressing them during the design phase rather than after deployment.

  • Improved Security Posture:

    • Enhances the overall security of the system by systematically identifying and addressing threats.

  • Compliance:

    • Helps meet regulatory and compliance requirements by demonstrating a structured approach to security.

Conclusion

Threat modeling is a critical aspect of building secure systems. By identifying and addressing potential threats early, organizations can protect their assets, reduce risks, and ensure a robust security posture.