STRIDE

STRIDE is a threat modeling framework developed by Microsoft that categorizes security threats into six distinct categories. It provides a systematic approach to identifying and analyzing potential security threats during the design and development of software applications and systems.

STRIDE Categories

S - Spoofing

• Definition: Impersonating another user or system
• Examples: Email spoofing, IP spoofing, session hijacking
• Mitigation: Strong authentication, digital certificates, session management

T - Tampering

• Definition: Unauthorized modification of data or code
• Examples: Data manipulation, code injection, configuration changes
• Mitigation: Input validation, integrity checks, access controls

R - Repudiation

• Definition: Denying responsibility for actions
• Examples: Log deletion, transaction denial, audit trail manipulation
• Mitigation: Comprehensive logging, digital signatures, audit trails

I - Information Disclosure

• Definition: Unauthorized access to sensitive information
• Examples: Data breaches, information leakage, error messages
• Mitigation: Encryption, access controls, secure error handling

D - Denial of Service

• Definition: Preventing legitimate users from accessing services
• Examples: DDoS attacks, resource exhaustion, service degradation
• Mitigation: Rate limiting, resource monitoring, redundancy

E - Elevation of Privilege

• Definition: Gaining unauthorized access to higher privileges
• Examples: Privilege escalation, admin access, root compromise
• Mitigation: Least privilege, access controls, privilege separation

STRIDE Process

1. Asset Identification: Identify valuable assets and data
2. Threat Categorization: Apply STRIDE categories to each component
3. Threat Analysis: Analyze likelihood and impact of each threat
4. Mitigation Planning: Design controls to address identified threats
5. Validation: Verify that mitigations effectively address threats

Benefits

• Systematic Approach: Structured method for threat identification
• Comprehensive Coverage: Addresses all major threat categories
• Early Detection: Identifies threats during design phase
• Cost Effective: Reduces security issues before implementation

Best Practices

1. Early Integration: Include STRIDE in design phase
2. Regular Updates: Update threat models as systems evolve
3. Team Involvement: Include security, development, and operations teams
4. Documentation: Maintain detailed threat model documentation

Tools

• Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool: Official STRIDE implementation
• OWASP Threat Dragon: Open-source threat modeling tool
• Custom Templates: Organization-specific threat modeling templates

Related Concepts

• Threat Modeling: Systematic threat identification
• Attack Surface: Points of potential attack
• Security Architecture: Secure system design

Conclusion

STRIDE provides a valuable framework for systematic threat identification and analysis. When properly implemented, it helps organizations build more secure systems by identifying and addressing threats early in the development lifecycle.