Threat Modeling: Designing for Security

Adam Shostack is responsible for security development lifecycle threat modeling at Microsoft and is one of a handful of threat modeling experts in the world. Now, he is sharing his considerable expertise into this unique book. With pages of specific actionable advice, he details how to build better security into the design of systems, software, or services from the outset. You’ll explore various threat modeling approaches, find out how to test your designs against threats, and learn effective ways to address threats that have been validated at Microsoft and other top companies.

Systems security managers, you’ll find tools and a framework for structured thinking about what can go wrong. Software developers, you’ll appreciate the jargon-free and accessible introduction to this essential skill. Security professionals, you’ll learn to discern changing threats and discover the easiest ways to adopt a structured approach to threat modeling.

• Provides a unique how-to for security and software developers who need to design secure products and systems and test their designs
• Explains how to threat model and explores various threat modeling approaches, such as asset-centric, attacker-centric and software-centric
• Provides effective approaches and techniques that have been proven at Microsoft and elsewhere
• Offers actionable how-to advice not tied to any specific software, operating system, or programming language
• Authored by a Microsoft professional who is one of the most prominent threat modeling experts in the world

As more software is delivered on the Internet or operates on Internet-connected devices, the design of secure software is absolutely critical. Make sure you’re ready with Threat Modeling: Designing for Security.

Table of Contents

Part I Getting Started
Chapter 1 Dive In and Threat Model!
Chapter 2 Strategies for Threat Modeling

Part II Finding Threats 9
Chapter 3 STRIDE
Chapter 4 Attack Trees
Chapter 5 Attack Libraries
Chapter 6 Privacy Tools

Part III Managing and Addressing Threats
Chapter 7 Processing and Managing Threats
Chapter 8 Defensive Tactics and Technologies
Chapter 9 Trade-Offs When Addressing Threats
Chapter 10 Validating That Threats Are Addressed
Chapter 11 Threat Modeling Tools

Part IV Threat Modeling in Technologies and Tricky Areas
Chapter 12 Requirements Cookbook
Chapter 13 Web and Cloud Threats
Chapter 14 Accounts and Identity
Chapter 15 Human Factors and Usability
Chapter 16 Threats to Cryptosystems

Part V Taking It to the Next Level
Chapter 17 Bringing Threat Modeling to Your Organization
Chapter 18 Experimental Approaches
Chapter 19 Architecting for Success

Appendix A Helpful Tools
Appendix B Threat Trees
Appendix C Attacker Lists
Appendix D Elevation of Privilege: The Cards
Appendix E Case Studies