Threat Modeling & Vulnerability Management Flashcards

What is the primary purpose of threat modeling in a DevSecOps pipeline?

Answer: To identify potential security threats and vulnerabilities early in the development process

Threat modeling proactively identifies potential threats and vulnerabilities during design, enabling teams to address them before code is written or deployed.

Which threat modeling framework categorizes threats using the STRIDE mnemonic?

Answer: Microsoft STRIDE

STRIDE was developed by Microsoft and categorizes threats into Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, and Elevation of Privilege.

In the STRIDE threat model, what does the letter 'T' represent?

Answer: Tampering

In STRIDE, 'T' stands for Tampering, which refers to unauthorized modification of data in transit or at rest.

What does the DREAD risk assessment model use to calculate risk scores?

Answer: Damage Potential, Reproducibility, Exploitability, Affected Users, Discoverability

DREAD scores risks across Damage Potential, Reproducibility, Exploitability, Affected Users, and Discoverability to produce a quantified threat severity rating.

Which threat modeling approach uses hierarchical tree structures to visually represent how an attacker might achieve a malicious goal?

Answer: Attack Tree Analysis

Attack Tree Analysis models threats as a tree where the root node represents an attacker's goal and branches represent different paths to achieve that goal.

What is the primary output of the PASTA (Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis) threat modeling methodology?

Answer: A prioritized list of threats aligned with business impact and risk

PASTA is a risk-centric, seven-stage methodology that produces a threat analysis aligned with business objectives and the organization's risk appetite.

In threat modeling data flow diagrams, what is a 'trust boundary'?

Answer: A point where data passes between components with different security trust levels

Trust boundaries are points in a system where data flows between components or processes that operate at different levels of trust, making them critical areas for threat analysis.