With cyber attacks becoming more frequent each year, cybersecurity teams need the most reliable approach to protect the security of their applications. By implementing a threat modeling tool in the design phase, organizations can identify potential risks and create countermeasures to mitigate those threats. Although threat modeling is known as the best method to secure systems and applications, some security teams are still making some mistakes when building threat models.
Big corporations spend extensive hours working to develop a wide-ranging security approach with the proper threat modeling tool to test, validate and improve their plan over time. Even though the concept of threat modeling isn’t new, there is a lack of understanding of the process and how to implement it. In this article, we will examine mistakes security teams make when building their threat models, along with tactics to avoid those mistakes.
Common Mistakes When Using A Threat Modeling Tool
1. Threat Modeling At The Wrong Time
There is a time for everything, and this same rule applies when building a threat model. To effectively reduce most risks and vulnerabilities, security teams should build threat models in the early phase of the design process. Threat modeling in the last stages of the development process will increase costs and reduce the chances of a successful mitigation strategy.
2. Only Thinking Like The Attacker
One of the first things you’ll read when learning how to threat model is to think like the attacker. Although this is an excellent strategy to reduce your attack surface, sometimes it can become a two-edged sword. Trying to predict what your adversary might do is part of threat modeling, but make sure you are also implementing some of the cybersecurity basics from different information security sources.
3. Believing a Threat Modeling Process Has an End
Assuming your threat modeling process will come to an end is a common mistake. Security teams often dismiss potential threats or believe that they’ve identified all existing threats. When building your threat model, prepare a representative cyber risk assessment with changes in the risk profiles to have a backup plan whenever you need to update your threat modeling tool.
4. “Threat Modeling Is For Experts Only”
When thinking of threat modeling, many believe that it’s a job for security specialists only. Although building a threat model requires a specific background in software development and security of systems, with the proper training and the right threat modeling tool, any IT professional will be able to build a threat model successfully while managing configuration files.
Related Readings: 4 Threat Modeling Software Features That Benefit Key Stakeholders
5. Failure To Use ThreatModeler As Your #1 Threat Modeling Tool
Using the right threat modeling tool will get you out of trouble and help prevent these mistakes. ThreatModeler is known as the industry’s #1 automated threat modeling platform in the market. ThreatModeler is a solution that delivers a centralized, intelligent threat engine, a threat intelligence framework, automated threat tree creation, and prebuilt architecture process flow diagrams.
About ThreatModeler
ThreatModeler is an automated threat modeling tool that strengthens an enterprise’s SDLC by identifying, predicting and defining threats across all applications and devices in the operational IT stack. This automated platform works with all types of computing environments.
To learn more about why ThreatModeler is an excellent choice for your enterprise, contact us to speak with an application threat modeling expert today.
