threat-modeling

Threat modeling is a design-time security review that creates a Data Flow Diagram and analyzes threats using STRIDE before implementation. You should apply it to new features involving auth flows, payments, multi-tenant data, third-party integrations, or significant refactors.

To create a threat model using STRIDE, map spoofing, tampering, repudiation, information disclosure, denial of service, and elevation of privilege threats to each element of your Data Flow Diagram, then define concrete mitigations for each identified threat.

Threat modeling works for third-party integrations and multi-tenant data architectures by generating a Data Flow Diagram that traces data movement, then applying STRIDE analysis per DFD element to identify security blind spots before code exists.

The best way to document threat mitigations is to assign concrete responses like mitigate, transfer, accept, or avoid, then bind each mitigation to specific validation steps including assigned owners, tests, and adversarial reviews within a living document.

To ensure threat modeling mitigations are implemented, produce a living, reviewable document that ties each mitigation to explicit validation steps with designated owners, tests, and adversarial review follow-through before the system is built.

Design-time threat modeling should not be used for minor changes that do not involve auth flows, payments, multi-tenant data, third-party integrations, or significant refactors, as it requires creating a comprehensive Data Flow Diagram and STRIDE analysis per element.