Infrastructure-as-Code Threat Modeling Through Automated Property Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing threat modeling methodologies fail to account for application interactions, require security experts, are resource-intensive, and cannot scale to meet enterprise needs, integrate with agile development, or address third-party elements, leading to incomplete security assessments in cloud computing environments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for generating a threat model from a code file by analyzing properties and resources, identifying security threats, and displaying them through a user interface, with the ability to mitigate threats by modifying property values or adding compensating controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional threat modeling methodologies are used, then security vulnerabilities can be identified at individual application level, but they cannot account for application interactions and cannot scale to enterprise needs
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the threat modeling process into automated code analysis components that can independently assess individual applications while also capturing interaction patterns. This allows the system to maintain precision in vulnerability identification while scaling to enterprise-level complexity by processing multiple applications concurrently through modular analysis units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an automated threat model generator as an intermediary between code files and security assessment. This intermediary automatically creates threat models from code without requiring manual security expert intervention, enabling scalable enterprise-wide threat modeling while maintaining accurate vulnerability detection through systematic code property analysis.
2Reliability
If traditional threat modeling requires security subject-matter experts, then accurate security assessment can be achieved, but resource intensity increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service threat modeling by automatically analyzing code files and generating comprehensive threat models without requiring security expert intervention. The automated generator extracts security properties from code, identifies vulnerabilities, and produces threat assessments independently, dramatically increasing productivity while maintaining reliable security evaluation through systematic analysis methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of security expert review with an automated computational system. The threat model generator uses algorithmic analysis to substitute human experts in the threat modeling process, maintaining assessment reliability through consistent application of security criteria while eliminating resource constraints associated with expert availability.
3Device complexity
If traditional threat modeling is used, then single applications can be analyzed in isolation, but application interactions and third-party elements are not accounted for
Solution Approach 1:
The automated threat model generator is designed with multi-functionality to handle diverse analysis scenarios. It can analyze single applications in isolation when needed while also capturing application interactions, third-party elements, and cloud service dependencies. This universal approach ensures no loss of interaction context while maintaining the ability to focus on individual components when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds another dimension to threat modeling by incorporating interaction analysis alongside traditional single-application assessment. The automated generator evaluates not only individual application vulnerabilities but also how applications interact with each other, third-party services, and cloud infrastructure, providing a multi-dimensional security view that captures both isolated and contextual risks.
4Measurement precision
If threat modeling is performed manually, then detailed security analysis can be conducted, but it cannot integrate with agile development and DevOps practices
Solution Approach 1:
The automated threat model generator performs preliminary security analysis by automatically creating threat models from code files during the development process. This preliminary action integrates seamlessly with agile and DevOps workflows, allowing security assessment to occur at appropriate stages without disrupting iterative development cycles, while maintaining detailed security analysis through automated code property evaluation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for determining one or more security threats associated with code in a code file are described. The method includes analyzing the code file to identify one or more properties, of a plurality of properties associated with one or more resources included in the code file. For each property of the identified one or more properties, the method further includes identifying a value for the property defined in the code file, and determining whether a security threat is associated with the property based on the identified value for the property and information regarding security threats associated with one or more values of the plurality of properties.