Threat Modeling System for Automated Diagram Import
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional threat modeling methodologies are inadequate for assessing organizational risk, as they focus on individual applications, require security experts, are resource-intensive, and cannot scale to meet the needs of enterprises with multiple software applications, nor do they effectively model application interactions, third-party elements, or communicate risks to non-experts.
Innovation Solution
A threat modeling system that uses databases to store threat model components and threats, with mapping files correlating these components with third-party diagram components, allowing for the generation of relational diagrams and threat reports that visualize and communicate potential threats and their impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional threat modeling methodologies are used to analyze individual applications, then security analysis can be performed, but the process cannot scale to meet the needs of enterprises with multiple software applications and is resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the threat modeling process into distinct components: data flow diagram creation, automatic threat identification, and risk assessment. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple applications by processing each through standardized segments, improving scalability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The threat modeling system is designed as a universal platform that can analyze multiple different software applications through a common interface and methodology. The system uses standardized data flow diagram templates and threat libraries that can be applied across diverse applications, enabling enterprise-wide scalability while maintaining consistent security analysis practices
2Measurement precision
If traditional threat modeling requires security subject-matter experts for creation, use, and maintenance, then accurate threat analysis can be achieved, but the process becomes inaccessible to non-experts and harder to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables non-expert users to perform threat modeling through automated features. The system automatically generates data flow diagrams from application specifications, identifies threats using pre-configured libraries, and assesses risks without requiring manual intervention from security experts. This self-service capability maintains analysis accuracy while dramatically improving accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an automated intermediary layer between non-expert users and complex threat analysis tasks. This intermediary automatically translates user inputs into security analyses using expert-level algorithms and threat libraries, allowing non-experts to access expert-level analysis capabilities without needing specialized knowledge
3Measurement precision
If traditional threat modeling focuses on single applications operating in isolation, then detailed application-level security can be assessed, but application-application interactions and organizational risk are not fully accounted for
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges individual application threat models into a comprehensive organizational view. By automatically analyzing data flow diagrams across multiple applications and identifying inter-application data flows, the system combines isolated application-level analyses into an integrated organizational risk assessment, maintaining precision at both levels simultaneously
4Reliability
If traditional threat modeling methodologies are resource-intensive to build and maintain, then thorough security analysis can be performed, but the process cannot be effectively scaled to enterprises generating tens of software applications per year
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary threat identification and data flow diagram generation automatically during the software development process, before formal security reviews are needed. By pre-identifying threats and documenting data flows as applications are built, the system maintains thorough security analysis while reducing the time and resources needed for later security assessments, enabling faster software delivery
Data Source
AI summary
Threat modeling systems include one or more computing devices communicatively coupled with one or more databases, the database(s) including threat model components and threats associated with one another. One or more mapping files coupled with the database(s) correlate the threat model components with visual diagram components of a third party software application. An import interface initiates reading of a third party generated data file by the computing device(s), the data file including a subset of the third party diagram components and relationships between the subset. An interface receiving input initiates a determination of threat model components correlated with the subset. A diagram interface displays a relational diagram using visual representations of threat model components correlated with the subset, the relational diagram defining a threat model. A threat report interface includes a threat report displaying each threat that is associated with one of the threat model components of the threat model.