Dynamic Threat Modeling for Scalable Software Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current threat modeling approaches are static, ineffective, and unable to scale with complex software application ecosystems, failing to provide real-time risk analytics and manage dynamic application architectures.
Innovation Solution
A system that dynamically generates interactive and predictive threat models using automated data aggregation, machine-learning techniques, and visualization to identify and mitigate security threats in real-time, with modules for data flow simulation, anomaly detection, and security control visualization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional static threat modeling approaches are used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but the system cannot scale to hundreds or thousands of software applications and cannot keep pace with rapid changes in the software landscape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static threat modeling into a dynamic system that automatically updates as software applications change. The system continuously monitors application architecture, code, and infrastructure, and automatically regenerates threat models without manual intervention, enabling it to scale across hundreds or thousands of applications while adapting to rapid changes in the software landscape
Solution Approach 2:
The threat modeling system performs self-service by automatically discovering software applications, extracting architecture information, identifying security threats, and generating threat models without requiring manual input from security analysts. This automation enables the system to scale to large numbers of applications while reducing operational complexity
2Reliability
If manual input and antiquated approaches are used for threat modeling, then system complexity is reduced, but effectiveness and efficiency deteriorate and cannot keep pace with rapid changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes with automated computational systems. Instead of security analysts manually reviewing application architecture and identifying threats, the system uses automated data aggregation from multiple sources, machine learning algorithms for threat detection, and computational models for risk analysis, significantly improving effectiveness while managing complexity through automation
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where threat models are automatically generated, validated against current application state, and updated as new information becomes available. This feedback mechanism ensures threat modeling effectiveness keeps pace with rapid changes in the software landscape by continuously adapting to new threats and architecture modifications
3Speed
If point-in-time state representation is used, then data processing complexity is minimized, but the system cannot provide real-time or near real-time risk analytics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous data aggregation and processing instead of periodic snapshots. The system continuously collects data from application architecture, code repositories, and infrastructure sources, maintaining an up-to-date representation of the software landscape that enables real-time or near real-time risk analytics while managing data complexity through streamlined aggregation pipelines
4Reliability
If comprehensive security analysis across large application ecosystems is performed, then security coverage is improved, but the analysis becomes tedious and unmanageable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large application ecosystem into individual application components and their associated threat models. Each application is analyzed independently, and results are aggregated into a comprehensive view. This segmentation makes the analysis manageable by breaking down complex ecosystems into smaller, tractable units while maintaining comprehensive security coverage across all applications
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented system is provided for visualizing and analyzing security threats in a suite of software applications. The system includes a visualization module for rendering, on a computer display, a map with components representative of the suite of software applications and relationships among the software applications. The components are displayed in a base layer of the map. The system also includes a threat modeling module configured to automatically identify one or more security threats in the suite of software applications. The threat modeling module is adapted to interact with the visualization module to graphically depict on the computer display the one or more security threats on the map in a threat modeling layer. The system further includes a security controls module configured to implement security controls for mitigating the one or more security threats identified by the threat modeling module.