# threat modelling

> process by which potential threats, such as structural vulnerabilities can be identified, enumerated, and prioritized – all from a hypothetical attacker’s point of view

**Wikidata**: [Q7797194](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7797194)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threat_model)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/threat-modelling

## Summary
Threat modelling is a process for identifying, enumerating, and prioritizing potential threats to a system from an attacker's perspective. It is a key component of cybersecurity engineering and software security assurance. The process helps organizations understand vulnerabilities and develop appropriate countermeasures.

## Key Facts
- Threat modelling is a subclass of cybersecurity engineering
- It is part of both software development and software security assurance processes
- The term has aliases including "threat modeling"
- It has a freebase ID of /m/0cd70r
- The Wikipedia page exists in 5 languages: Arabic, English, French, Ukrainian, and Chinese
- It is related to the STRIDE framework, which stands for Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information disclosure, Denial of service, and Elevation of privilege
- It is related to attack trees, which are conceptual diagrams showing how an asset might be attacked
- The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is a related standard for assessing computer system vulnerabilities
- Multiple threat modelling methodologies exist including LINDDUN, Security Cards, hTMM, Trike, VAST, and OCTAVE

## FAQs
### Q: What is the purpose of threat modelling?
A: Threat modelling helps identify potential security threats and vulnerabilities in a system before they can be exploited by attackers. It enables organizations to prioritize security efforts and implement appropriate countermeasures based on the likelihood and impact of different threats.

### Q: What are some common threat modelling methodologies?
A: Common threat modelling methodologies include STRIDE, which categorizes threats into six types; LINDDUN, which focuses on privacy threats; OCTAVE for risk-based security assessment; and VAST for visual, agile threat modeling. Each methodology has different approaches and use cases.

### Q: How does threat modelling relate to cybersecurity engineering?
A: Threat modelling is a specific process within the broader field of cybersecurity engineering. While cybersecurity engineering encompasses the entire discipline of securing systems and networks, threat modelling is a focused technique for systematically identifying and analyzing potential threats from an attacker's perspective.

## Why It Matters
Threat modelling is critical because it provides a structured approach to understanding security risks before they materialize into actual breaches. By systematically analyzing potential attack vectors from an adversary's perspective, organizations can identify vulnerabilities that might otherwise be overlooked in traditional security testing. This proactive approach saves significant resources by preventing costly security incidents rather than reacting to them after the fact. Threat modelling also helps organizations comply with security standards and regulations by demonstrating due diligence in security planning. In an era where cyber attacks are increasingly sophisticated and costly, the ability to anticipate and mitigate threats before they occur is invaluable. The methodology has become essential for secure software development, particularly in industries handling sensitive data such as finance, healthcare, and government.

## Notable For
- Provides a systematic framework for identifying security vulnerabilities before implementation
- Enables prioritization of security efforts based on actual threat likelihood and potential impact
- Serves as a foundational practice in secure software development lifecycles
- Integrates with multiple established security frameworks and methodologies
- Helps organizations meet compliance requirements through documented security analysis

## Body
### Core Process
Threat modelling follows a systematic approach to security analysis that involves identifying assets, potential threats, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures. The process typically begins with creating a model of the system being analyzed, including its components, data flows, and trust boundaries. From there, potential threats are identified and categorized using frameworks like STRIDE or other methodologies.

### Methodologies and Frameworks
Several established methodologies support threat modelling activities. STRIDE provides a mnemonic for categorizing threats into six types: Spoofing (impersonation), Tampering (modification), Repudiation (denial of actions), Information disclosure (data exposure), Denial of service (availability disruption), and Elevation of privilege (unauthorized access). Attack trees offer a visual representation of how different attack paths can lead to system compromise. OCTAVE focuses on organizational risk assessment, while VAST emphasizes visual modeling for agile development environments.

### Applications and Use Cases
Threat modelling is applied across various domains including software development, network architecture, cloud infrastructure, and IoT device design. In software development, it's integrated into the security development lifecycle (SDL) to identify vulnerabilities early when they're less expensive to fix. For network architecture, it helps design secure communication channels and access controls. In cloud environments, threat modelling addresses shared responsibility models and multi-tenant security concerns.

### Benefits and Outcomes
Organizations implementing threat modelling gain several advantages: early identification of security issues reduces remediation costs, improved understanding of attack surfaces leads to better security controls, and documented threat analyses support compliance requirements. The process also facilitates communication between security teams and other stakeholders by providing a common framework for discussing risks and mitigations.

### Limitations and Challenges
Despite its benefits, threat modelling faces several challenges. The effectiveness depends heavily on the skill and experience of the analysts, incomplete system knowledge can lead to missed vulnerabilities, and the process can be time-consuming for complex systems. Additionally, threat modelling requires regular updates as systems evolve and new attack techniques emerge.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "threat modelling",
  "description": "process by which potential threats, such as structural vulnerabilities can be identified, enumerated, and prioritized \u2013 all from a hypothetical attacker\u0027s point of view",
  "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threat_model",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1075588"
  ],
  "additionalType": "cybersecurity engineering process"
}

## References

1. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)