Threat Modeling & Risk Assessment Flashcards

Which SDL phase is the FIRST recommended time to perform threat modeling?

Answer: Design

SDL recommends performing threat modeling during the Design phase so that architectural flaws can be corrected before code is written.

When using TRIKE for threat modeling, the method differs from STRIDE primarily because TRIKE:

Answer: Derives threats systematically from a requirements model and risk acceptability rules

TRIKE generates a complete threat model by systematically applying rules to a requirements model, ensuring every actor-action-asset combination is evaluated.

A cloud-hosted microservice exposes an internal metrics endpoint without authentication on port 9090. What is the most appropriate first action when this is found during threat modeling?

Answer: Add it to the attack surface inventory and assign an owner to remediate

The correct SDL response is to formally add unauthenticated endpoints to the attack surface inventory, assign ownership, and drive remediation through the security process.

In risk assessment, 'likelihood' combined with 'impact' produces what output?

Answer: Risk level

Risk = Likelihood × Impact; combining these two dimensions yields a risk level that prioritizes which threats require the most urgent mitigation.

Which of the following best describes a 'trust boundary' in a threat model?

Answer: The line separating components with different levels of trust or privilege

A trust boundary marks where data or control passes between components operating under different privilege or trust levels, making it a prime location for threats.

Which SDL tool is designed to automate the creation of threat models based on DFDs and STRIDE?

Answer: Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool

The Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool ingests DFD diagrams, automatically applies STRIDE, and generates a list of potential threats for review.

Which OWASP resource provides a structured catalog of attack patterns that teams can reference during threat modeling to ensure completeness?

Answer: CAPEC (Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification)

CAPEC catalogs reusable attack patterns with descriptions, prerequisites, and mitigations, making it a reference for threat enumeration during modeling.