There’s a saying that goes back to the beginning of time -“An ounce of prevention will be more than a kilogram cure.
This is more evident than in the field of cybersecurity. Reactive, passive cyber defenses have been struggling for years in keeping up with ever-changing cybercrime industry. However, in recent years they’ve started to stray from the edge of becoming obsolete.
Cybercrime is now pulling more money than other countries, with the profits of criminals predicted to be $10.5 trillion in 2025. Criminal organizations, however are getting more sophisticated. In addition, considering that each attack is a new one every 39 seconds it is evident that the need for more proactive and preventative measures is clearIt’s time for businesses to shift in the direction of cyber security to be more resilient.
Threat modeling is a key component of this transformation.
What exactly is threat Modeling?
Threat modeling is exactly what it’s sounded like. It’s a sophisticated, well-structured approach to cyber-attacks which maps possible threat scenarios. A threat modeling approach examines your organization’s security frameworks and systems and allows you to discover weak points and weaknesses before an attacker can attack them.
Threat modeling typically has its origins in the lifecycle of software development and is used to identify design decisions or development practices that could lead to long-term risk. In the present however, its purpose is much more than the scope of. In a total risk management plan threat modeling analyzes every particular system by determining the most important particular threat prior to it causing create harm for the company.
If it’s beginning to sound like threat models have some similarities with an assessment of business impact it’s not by chance. The former actually uses threat models in its analysis process. It’s just natural that there would be plenty of overlap between these two.
What is the purpose in Threat Modeling?
According to Carnegie Mellon University, at an upper level, each threat modeling technique includes the following elements:
A illustration that represents the structure.
The motives, goals methods, and strategies of threat actors.
A complete list of potential risks, threats and weaknesses.
Frameworks for threat modeling can help you understand the risks that are identified by defining the ways in which they could be exploited. They provide the possibility of preparing mitigation strategies when your system is attacked. Additionally they can be utilized to guide IT investment and help inform the implementation of cybersecurity measures that are new.
Given the many similarities, how does one decide on the best framework?
Be aware of your security and the requirements for compliance.
Review your company’s risk-profile.
Take a look at the way your applications and systems are constructed, including the architecture and access control, programming language and more.
Find out the specific goals of each department within your business.
Consider the sector and industry that your company operates in.
The selection of a framework is contingent on your particular security, business and regulatory requirements and needs. However, even though there’s not a universal, one-size-fits-all threat model There are five approaches which are used more often than other. There’s a high chance you’ll find one that strategies will be the right suitable choice for your companyand there’s no reason to not apply different models at once.
What are the most well-known threats? Methods for Modeling?
STRIDE
It was created in 1999 by Microsoft at the time of its launch in 1999 the Spoofing Tampering Repudiation Information Message Disclosure DDoS and Enhancement of Privilege (STRIDE) was focused on the development and design. It is the most advanced threat modeling framework available on marketplace, STRIDE changed significantly in the past to keep up with the rapid development of new kinds of threats.
PASTA
PASTA PASTA, also known as the Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis it establishes an eight-step procedure through which businesses can analyze the security of a system from an attacker’s point of view. It combines this method with an exhaustive risk assessment and the analysis of business impacts. It lets one improve their understanding of threat actors , while making sure that there is a clear that there is a clear alignment between threat models as well as the business goals.
Trike
The original idea was to create an instrument for conducting security audits. The open-source Trike has since found an extensive segment as a threat-modeling tool that allows businesses to combine threat modeling and risks management as well as risk assessment. Alongside the definition and mapping of current systems, as well as threat surface, Trike requires that a company determine its risk tolerance prior to applying.
VAST
VAST (Visual Advanced, Agile, Simple Threat modeling) was originally developed as a way to improve the limitations of other techniques for modeling threats. Based on the concept that different sections of an organization face different security concerns, VAST has the ability to analyze threat scenarios from both an application as well as an operational view. It’s also specifically designed to facilitate agile development, scalability and automation.
OCTAVE
Another outdated framework, Operationally Critical Threat, Asset and Vulnerability Assessment (OCTAVE) was created with cybersecurity with a cybersecurity perspective in mind. It focuses primarily on operational and organizational risk and is designed to cut down on unnecessary documentation, define assets better and better integrate the threat model into an organisation’s overall security plan. It’s a good choice for a company that wants to increase awareness of risk however it’s not scaling very well.
MITRE AT&CK
Based on real-world observations, MITRE ATT&CK is as much a source of knowledge as it is a threat model. Apart from threat modelling, ATT&CK also provides frameworks for penetration testing, cybersecurity as well as defense-related development. In terms of threat modelling viewpoint, ATT&CK is, as one would expect from the name, primarily focused on the lifecycle of a cyberattack.
The model of lifecycle is comprised of fourteen stages that are the core that define different mitigation strategies for each of them:
Reconnaissance A threat actor is gathering information about your system, and lightly looking for vulnerabilities.
Development of resources The threat actor gathers the information they require to exploit a flaw or vulnerability.
Initial access: The threat-maker makes an initial attempt to gain access to your network.
Execution: When access is secured the threat actor starts execution of malicious software on the compromised system.
Persistence: If the threat actor continues infiltrating your network and system and systems, they start to think about ways they can evade efforts to identify the threat and help stop it.
Privilege escalation: The risk attacker has gained access to elevated privileges within this compromised computer system which allows them to possibly cause more harm.
Security escape Threat actors expands their reach by deactivating or compromising security systems.
Credential access: The risk person steals account credentials and then uses them to expand their access to the system.
Discovery The threat actor scans beyond the system they initially had targeted and starts seeking access points in the larger network.
Moving laterally: A risk actor makes moves through compromised networks and account.
Command and Control The threat actor increases their influence over compromised systems by directing key processes according to their own preferences. appropriate.
Collection: The threat-maker begins preparations for data theft or exfiltration.
Exfiltration In the event that the goal of the attacker is to steal data This is the point in which they are able in order to accomplish their objective.
Impact: The organization targeted has to repair the damage done through the actor responsible for the attack that is, at this point, no longer on the radar.
What is the reason why Threat Modeling Benefitful?
You can’t patch a vulnerability that you don’t know about or protect yourself from an attack that you do not know is approaching. On a broad level this is the issue that threat modeling tackles. It will provide your security staff with a standard method of both strengthening the existing infrastructure and assessing the latest additions to your technology environment.
The other thing to consider is the regular review of your systems, processes and even your software is beneficial for many reasons.
It assists you in identifying and fix errors that are preventable that could be caused by security flaws, software bugs, non-patched vulnerabilities and configuration errors.
It decreases risk exposure by reducing or minimizing weaknesses in the attack area.
It is a way to increase understanding of hardware and software systems, specifically from a risk-based perspective.
It helps with more efficient threat prioritization, guiding everything from purchasing decisions to mitigation strategies.
It assists in validating and testing security controls and systems that are already in place.
If you use the right tools, it will allow your business to respond faster to the ever-changing threats, ensuring that you are able to keep up when traditional risk management frameworks could be unable to keep up.
It is able to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, isolated failure points, and inadequate policies and controls.
It gives you an knowledge of the cyber-kill chain, specifically the particular defensive steps you can take at every step of the chain.
It offers you an established method of measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of your current cybersecurity plan.
It allows you to see operational information that may otherwise be obliterated.
It enhances overall design/development and quality control.
It improves collaboration and drives to the forefront that cyber-resilience and cybersecurity is the collective responsibility of all.
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