A Comprehensive Guide To Threat Modelling Frameworks

Imagine that you are the designer of a vast virtual metropolis. Applications, APIs, and cloud services are among the new structures that are built every day and contain important data. However, possible dangers like cybercriminals, data breaches, and system malfunctions are hiding in the shadows, waiting to take advantage of any vulnerability. It's like playing whack-a-mole when you only respond to events; you're constantly one step behind. Imagine being able to proactively find and fix vulnerabilities before they are used against you.?

Threat modelling promises to be a crucial strategic approach to integrating resilience into your systems from the start, not just a security gimmick. Exploring this realm of threat modelling still feels daunting. How does one start, then? Threat modelling frameworks are here to help. They operate similarly to having on-site security specialists on staff; they have a systematic, repeatable procedure that can recognise, evaluate, and neutralise any potential threat. Let's examine how you may strengthen your digital defences with these frameworks.?

What is a Threat Modelling Framework??

An organised, repeatable process for determining and evaluating the possible security threats in a system, application, or infrastructure is offered by a threat modelling framework. It acts as a kind of thorough road map that leads development teams and security experts through a methodical threat analysis, risk assessment, and security control installation process. In order to prevent potentially serious flaws and omissions, these frameworks would make use of a predetermined set of concepts, rules, and methods to guarantee uniformity and comprehensiveness in the danger identification process. In summary, it is a comprehensive aspect of proactive risk management, which means that by strategically implementing security measures, organisations can improve their cybersecurity posture and minimise attack surfaces.?

Diving Deeper: Threat Modeling Frameworks in Action?

Now that we understand?what?threat modeling frameworks are, let's explore some popular ones and how they work in practice.?

STRIDE (Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, Elevation of Privilege):?

?STRIDE, developed by Microsoft, which functions similarly to a checklist for identifying possible threats according to the potential impact. These six distinct methods help you consider how an attacker would attempt to infiltrate your system.?

?Consider developing an online banking application, for instance. With STRIDE, you would enquire: ?

?Spoofing: Is it possible for an attacker to pose as an authorised user? (For instance, by pilfering credentials) ?

Tampering: Could an attacker alter transaction data??(For instance, altering the transfer amount) ?

Repudiation: Is it possible for a user to repudiate a transaction? (For instance, saying they didn't approve a payment.) ?

Information Disclosure: Is it possible for private account information to be disclosed? (for instance, by way of a database breach) ?

Denial of Service: Is it possible for an attacker to overwhelm the system and render it inoperable? (for instance, by means of a DDoS assault) ?

Elevation Privilege: Is it possible for an attacker to obtain administrative access? (For instance, by taking advantage of a software flaw) ?

This framework is ideal for classifying threats into broad categories across different system components. It's helpful when beginning threat modelling for a new or current application?

PASTA (Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis):?

PASTA is a risk-centric, far more in-depth method for identifying attack patterns and motivations. Anticipating their next move is actually thinking like an attacker. What does this look like, for instance, when it comes to protecting a healthcare data system? PASTA would consist of:?

Establish Business Goals: What are the main business goals, such as system availability and patient data protection? ?

Describe Technical Requirements: What are the system's technical specifications? ?

Decomposition: It is the process of disassembling a system into smaller parts. ?

Threat Identification: Recognising possible threats that target each component and comprehending the objectives of the attacker (e.g., interrupting the system, stealing patient data for financial gain). ?

Vulnerability Analysis: Finding flaws that an attacker could take advantage of, such as unpatched software or weak authentication. ?

Attack Modelling: Creating attack scenarios based on the threats and vulnerabilities?

Analysing risk and impact: Figuring out how each successful assault might affect the company. ?

It is perfect for intricate systems where you need to have a thorough grasp of the motivations of attackers and the possible effects on company. For threat modelling new systems, this is excellent.?

MITRE ATT&CK:?

MITRE ATT&CK is a vast collection of recorded known adversary strategies and techniques based on real-world observations, rather than a framework in and of itself. When it comes to defenders, MITRE ATT&CK is comparable to hackers' playbooks. ?

For example, if you have determined that your system has a phishing vulnerability, you can use MITRE ATT&CK to look for the specific post-phishing techniques that the attackers are known to employ (e.g., credential extraction, lateral movement). ?

Quite helpful in comprehending the how of attacks. Utilise it to pinpoint certain security measures to guard against well-known adversary strategies. Both new and old systems can use this.?

OWASP Threat Dragon:?

An open-source tool for documenting and visualising your threat models is called OWASP Threat Dragon. Drawing diagrams, identifying hazards, and monitoring mitigation are all made easier with this application. ?

For instance: You're developing an online application. Using Threat Dragon, you can create an application architecture diagram and pinpoint potential risks to each component, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. After that, you will provide the developers the mitigation duties. ?

Perfect for groups who want to use a collaborative, visual approach to manage their threat modelling process.?

LINDDUN (Linkability, Identifiability, Non-repudiation, Detectability, Disclosure of information, Unawareness, Non-compliance):?

LINDDUN assists you in identifying possible dangers associated with personal data and focusses exclusively on privacy threats. It resembles an exaggerated privacy effect evaluation.?

For instance: You're creating a mobile application that gathers location information from users. LINDDUN would assist you in evaluating: ?

Linkability: Is it possible to identify a user by connecting their location data to other data sources? ?

Identifiability: Is it possible to identify a user based solely on their location data? ?

Non-repudiation: Is it possible for the user to refuse to give their location information? ?

Detectability: Is it possible for the user to recognise that their location information is being gathered? ?

Information disclosure: Is it possible for unauthorised persons to obtain the location data? ?

Unawareness: Does the user understand the use of their location data? ?

Non-compliance: Does the gathering of data adhere to privacy laws? ?

Essential for guaranteeing adherence to privacy rules and regulations in any system that handles sensitive personal data.?

?Why are Threat Modelling Frameworks Important??

• Proactive Security: By using threat modelling, you can shift from reactive to proactive security measures. You're identifying your vulnerabilities before someone else takes advantage of them. ?

• Setting priorities: Not every threat is created equal. Frameworks assist you in concentrating your mitigation efforts on the most impactful and high-risk issues.?

• Better Communication: Security teams, developers, and stakeholders can discuss security issues using a common language thanks to threat modelling. ?

• Compliance: Organisations must be proactive in their security measures to comply with many compliance standards. Those needs can be met with the aid of threat modelling. ?

• Attack surface reduction: By identifying vulnerabilities, threat modelling lowers the attack surface.?

?Choosing the Right Framework For Your Organisation?

Choosing the right threat modelling framework is more of a strategic decision, with the rationale based on industry, current risk management practices, types of systems being protected, and current skill sets of your team. For ease of understanding, let's look at how various industries can approach this.?

Healthcare:?

In the healthcare sector, the main issues are patient data protection, system availability, and regulatory compliance (HIPAA). ?

Suggested Frameworks: ?

• LINDDUN: An essential tool for tackling privacy risks associated with patient data and electronic health records (EHRs). ?

• PASTA: Offers a risk-based method for comprehending how hackers could target private information and interfere with vital systems. ?

• STRIDE: A strong basis for recognising typical risks to healthcare infrastructure and applications. ?

Security and privacy are crucial for healthcare organisations since they manage very sensitive data. These frameworks support system availability and patient data protection.?

Financial Services:?

Key concerns include fraud, data breaches, system resilience, and regulatory compliance (PCI DSS, GDPR). ?

Suggested Frameworks: ?

• PASTA: Great for creating attack simulations that target financial systems and comprehending the motivations of attackers. ?

• STRIDE: An excellent place to start when looking for risks associated with account security and financial activities. ?

• MITRE ATT&CK: A great resource for learning about actual attack tactics that cybercriminals employ to target financial institutions. ?

A strong and proactive security posture is necessary since financial institutions are often the targets of cyberattacks.?

E-commerce:?

Key problems include denial-of-service attacks, financial fraud, data theft, and a decline in consumer confidence. ?

Suggested Frameworks:?

• STRIDE: It assists in detecting risks to payment processing, website security, and client data. ?

• MITRE ATT&CK : Information regarding the strategies and tactics used by attackers to target e-commerce platforms (Magecart-type attacks)?

• OWASP Threat Dragon: An intuitive tool for managing and visualising threat models for web applications. ?

Secure transactions and customer trust are the cornerstones of e-commerce operations. These frameworks guarantee website availability and aid in the protection of sensitive data.?

Software Development:?

Code flaws, supply chain security, data breaches, and application security are the main issues. ?

Suggested Frameworks: ?

• STRIDE: An essential foundation for locating typical software application vulnerabilities. ?

• OWASP Threat Dragon: A cooperative tool for modelling risks across the software development lifecycle (SDLC)?

• MITRE ATT&CK: Assists developers in putting in place efficient security controls and comprehending how attackers take advantage of software flaws. ?

It is the duty of software engineers to create safe applications from the ground up. They can find and fix vulnerabilities early in the development process with the use of these frameworks. ?

Cloud Computing:?

The following frameworks are suggested: ?

• MITRE ATT&CK: Provides insights into the tactics and techniques used by attackers targeting cloud infrastructure.?
• STRIDE: Offers a comprehensive approach to identifying threats in cloud environments.?

• PASTA: Assists in understanding the attacker's perspective and potential impact on cloud resources.?

Because cloud environments are complex and present unique security challenges due to the shared responsibility model, these frameworks assist organisations in protecting their data and cloud resources.?

Beyond Industry: Other Considerations?

Your Company's Existing Risk Management Strategies:?

If you already use a specific risk management methodology (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001), choose a threat modeling framework that complements it. Look for frameworks that align with your existing risk assessment and mitigation processes.?

?The Type of System:?

A simple web application might only require a basic STRIDE analysis. A complex, distributed system might benefit from a more in-depth approach like PASTA. Consider the complexity of your system when selecting a framework.?

?Team Expertise:?

Don't try to implement a complex framework if your team lacks the necessary expertise. Start with a simpler framework like STRIDE and gradually introduce more advanced techniques as your team's skills grow. Consider training and resources for your team.?

How can we help??

At Aristiun, we provide state-of-the-art threat modelling solutions that enable companies to proactively detect, evaluate, and reduce security threats. Leading threat modelling frameworks like as STRIDE, PASTA, and MITRE ATT&CK are easily integrated with our AI-driven cybersecurity tools, allowing your team to fortify defences, minimise attack surfaces, and guarantee adherence to industry standards. Our expert-driven approach helps you stay ahead of cyber threats, whether you're protecting business apps, cloud environments, financial services, or healthcare systems. ?

Are you prepared to create a robust security plan? By collaborating with Aristiun, you may use proactive threat intelligence to improve your cybersecurity posture. Get in touch with us right now!?