Isol 536security Architecture And Designthreat Modelingsession 12ath ✓ Solved

ISOL 536 Security Architecture and Design Threat Modeling Session 12a Threat Modeling & Security Requirements Agenda • Interplay of threats and requirements • Requirements – Business & Scenarios – Prevent/Detect/Respond – Compliance – Privacy – STRIDE • Non-Requirements • Reading: Chapter 12 Interplay of Attacks, Mitigations and Requirements Requirements Threats Mitigations Requirements drive threats Threats expose requirements Un-mitigatable threats drive requirements Threats need mitigation Mitigations can be bypassed Framing Requirements • Important threats violate important requirements • Crisp requirements help determine if something violates – Thought-provoking: “A program that hasn’t been fully specified cannot be buggy, merely surprising.†– Full specification is exceptionally rare – Bugs are not rare • Crisp requirements are hard • Requirements often change as you learn more • So getting “good enough†quickly is a useful goal Cookbook Approach • Chapter 12 is full of lists such as: – Anyone with an email address can create an account – Anyone with a validated email address can create an account – Anyone with a credit card number can create an account – Anyone with a valid, authorizable credit card can create an account – Anyone who can tell us how much we charged their credit card can … • Intended to provoke consideration/conversation • Many are incomplete, requiring scoping or customization REQUIREMENTS Business & Scenarios • Scenario driven – Use cases are a general approach to requirements – Rare for security to show up in use cases, even as a feature • Industry – PCI-DSS, medical, other “verticals†impose requirements • Competition – One place it’s possible to get more crisp Prevent/Detect/Respond (1/3) • A common way of framing security problems • Can lead to some interesting requirements for both development and operations • Prevent – Isolation (firewalls, air gaps) – Least-privilege (sandboxing, running unprivileged) – Vulnerability management Prevent: Vulnerability Management (2/3) • Vulnerabilities refer to code bugs which can be exploited leading to attacker code running • Track vulnerabilities in code you depend on – Operationally to patch – Developmentally to integrate security fixes & ship updates • Make it easy for others to report vulnerabilities to you Detect/Respond (3/3) • Operational Detection – Set goals for detection – Use penetration testing, “Indicators of Compromise†to test • Product Enablement for Detection – Ensure that attack surface logs – Mark security messages as security • Respond – Plan & practice before a real incident Compliance-Driven Requirements • Can be a useful source even if not required – NIST Special Publication 200 – PCI-DSS – Both relate closely to other requirements frameworks • Cloud Security Alliance mappings – Compare 10 frameworks (COBIT, HIPPA, ISO, PCI- DSS, etc) Privacy Requirements • Meeting customer, regulatory & business needs • Fair Information Practices – Notice, consent, redress and others – Basis of many national laws • Privacy by Design – Proactive, by default, embedded, positive sum, lifecycle protection, transparency, respect for users • Seven Laws of Identity STRIDE • The requirements are the inverse of the threats • Thus spoofing impacts authentication requirements (etc.) Spoofing — Authentication • Is authentication required? – Whitehouse.gov vs Wikipedia • How strong an authentication is required? • Account lifecycle – Creation requirements – Audit requirements – Account closing Tampering — Integrity • Filesystem integrity • Network integrity • Log integrity Repudiation — Non-Repudiation • Logging • Audit • Fraud prevention Info Disclosure — Confidentiality • File confidentiality • Metadata confidentiality – Filename – Directory name – Fact of communication (“Calling an addiction support lineâ€) • Network confidentiality Elevation — Authorization • Manage authorization or delegate to platform? • Central list of ACLs or rules stored with files? – Central easier to manage programmatically – Stored with files easier for people to understand • Formal models (Bell-LaPadula, Biba) Non-Requirements • Important to decide, communicate what you don’t defend against – Then customers can decide if it’s the right model • Operational Guides • Publish non-requirements documents – “Microsoft Immutable Laws of Security†Recap • Threats and requirements have a natural interplay • Lots of ways to find requirements • Crisp requirements & non-requirements help you find the important threats • Focus your security effort ISOL 536 Security Architecture and Design Threat Modeling Session 12a Threat Modeling & Security Requirements Agenda • Interplay of threats and requirements • Requirements – Business & Scenarios – Prevent/Detect/Respond – Compliance – Privacy – STRIDE • Non-Requirements • Reading: Chapter 12 Interplay of Attacks, Mitigations and Requirements Requirements Threats Mitigations Requirements drive threats Threats expose requirements Un-mitigatable threats drive requirements Threats need mitigation Mitigations can be bypassed Framing Requirements • Important threats violate important requirements • Crisp requirements help determine if something violates – Thought-provoking: “A program that hasn’t been fully specified cannot be buggy, merely surprising.†– Full specification is exceptionally rare – Bugs are not rare • Crisp requirements are hard • Requirements often change as you learn more • So getting “good enough†quickly is a useful goal Cookbook Approach • Chapter 12 is full of lists such as: – Anyone with an email address can create an account – Anyone with a validated email address can create an account – Anyone with a credit card number can create an account – Anyone with a valid, authorizable credit card can create an account – Anyone who can tell us how much we charged their credit card can … • Intended to provoke consideration/conversation • Many are incomplete, requiring scoping or customization REQUIREMENTS Business & Scenarios • Scenario driven – Use cases are a general approach to requirements – Rare for security to show up in use cases, even as a feature • Industry – PCI-DSS, medical, other “verticals†impose requirements • Competition – One place it’s possible to get more crisp Prevent/Detect/Respond (1/3) • A common way of framing security problems • Can lead to some interesting requirements for both development and operations • Prevent – Isolation (firewalls, air gaps) – Least-privilege (sandboxing, running unprivileged) – Vulnerability management Prevent: Vulnerability Management (2/3) • Vulnerabilities refer to code bugs which can be exploited leading to attacker code running • Track vulnerabilities in code you depend on – Operationally to patch – Developmentally to integrate security fixes & ship updates • Make it easy for others to report vulnerabilities to you Detect/Respond (3/3) • Operational Detection – Set goals for detection – Use penetration testing, “Indicators of Compromise†to test • Product Enablement for Detection – Ensure that attack surface logs – Mark security messages as security • Respond – Plan & practice before a real incident Compliance-Driven Requirements • Can be a useful source even if not required – NIST Special Publication 200 – PCI-DSS – Both relate closely to other requirements frameworks • Cloud Security Alliance mappings – Compare 10 frameworks (COBIT, HIPPA, ISO, PCI- DSS, etc) Privacy Requirements • Meeting customer, regulatory & business needs • Fair Information Practices – Notice, consent, redress and others – Basis of many national laws • Privacy by Design – Proactive, by default, embedded, positive sum, lifecycle protection, transparency, respect for users • Seven Laws of Identity STRIDE • The requirements are the inverse of the threats • Thus spoofing impacts authentication requirements (etc.) Spoofing — Authentication • Is authentication required? – Whitehouse.gov vs Wikipedia • How strong an authentication is required? • Account lifecycle – Creation requirements – Audit requirements – Account closing Tampering — Integrity • Filesystem integrity • Network integrity • Log integrity Repudiation — Non-Repudiation • Logging • Audit • Fraud prevention Info Disclosure — Confidentiality • File confidentiality • Metadata confidentiality – Filename – Directory name – Fact of communication (“Calling an addiction support lineâ€) • Network confidentiality Elevation — Authorization • Manage authorization or delegate to platform? • Central list of ACLs or rules stored with files? – Central easier to manage programmatically – Stored with files easier for people to understand • Formal models (Bell-LaPadula, Biba) Non-Requirements • Important to decide, communicate what you don’t defend against – Then customers can decide if it’s the right model • Operational Guides • Publish non-requirements documents – “Microsoft Immutable Laws of Security†Recap • Threats and requirements have a natural interplay • Lots of ways to find requirements • Crisp requirements & non-requirements help you find the important threats • Focus your security effort

Paper for above instructions

Introduction

In the realm of cybersecurity, understanding the interplay of threats and security requirements is essential for building robust security postures. This interplay necessitates a thorough examination of the potential threats an organization faces and how these threats can drive the establishment of security requirements. This paper discusses the framework of requirements—business, compliance, privacy, and the STRIDE model—as they pertain to threat modeling and security architecture. The goal is to elucidate how requirements can mold defense strategies while also unveiling potential threats that need mitigation.

Interplay of Threats and Requirements

Effective security architecture is rooted in understanding both threats and requirements. Requirements can drive the identification of threats, revealing vulnerabilities that need attention, while the existence of threats can highlight the necessity for specific requirements. This reciprocal relationship is vital for developing security strategies.
As highlighted in literature, "importantly, threats violate important requirements" (Gollmann, 2011), indicating that mitigating threats must be accompanied by the establishment of stringent requirements. Consideration should also be given to the notion that “a program that hasn’t been fully specified cannot be buggy, merely surprising” (Boehm, 1988)—a reminder that security contexts can change as requirements evolve.

Business and Scenario Requirements

Security requirements must often be framed within the context of business scenarios. Use cases provide a foundational approach for drafting these requirements, although security considerations frequently emerge as secondary factors (Mouratidis & Ievsyuk, 2015). For instance, regulatory requirements, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) and healthcare regulations, create an additional layer of stipulations that organizations must consider when building a security framework (Huang et al., 2015).
It is critical for organizations to capture and understand their unique scenarios. This understanding will foster crisp requirements, which provide a clearer guide in both development and operational contexts. Rapidly evolving security incidents place a premium on organizations achieving adequacy quickly without compromising security (Stratigos & Papavassiliou, 2018).

Prevent/Detect/Respond Framework

The Prevent/Detect/Respond (PDR) framework serves as a common methodology for modeling security requirements and strategies.

1. Prevent

Prevention strategies encompass measures such as firewalls, air gaps, and least-privilege configurations (Morse & Omara, 2020). Vulnerability management also falls under this category, highlighting the significance of tracking vulnerabilities in the codebase and the dependencies utilized to mitigate operational risks effectively (Sikdar, 2021).
Organizations must cultivate an environment where vulnerability reporting is encouraged and facilitated, enabling timely reactions to threats.

2. Detect

Detection mechanisms must be operationally defined with goals and strategies set for identification of intrusions and potential breaches. Regular penetration testing and the establishment of "Indicators of Compromise" (IoCs) are effective methodologies for this purpose (Fincher, 2019). Product enablement for detection might include ensuring that all security events are accurately logged, allowing for retrospective analysis of security-related incidents.

3. Respond

A robust incident response plan is imperative for addressing security events when they occur. This plan should undergo regular practice to ensure that personnel are familiar with the steps to take during an incident. “Plan and practice before a real incident” emphasizes the necessity of preparation (Peltier, 2016).

Compliance-Driven Requirements

Compliance frameworks offer organizations a structured pathway toward creating security requirements. While NIST Special Publication 800-53 and PCI-DSS might not always be obligatory, adhering to these guidelines helps organizations align closely with best practices in security governance (Hansman & Hunt, 2005).
Moreover, the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) leads to cross-comparisons of various compliance frameworks such as HIPAA and ISO, thereby enhancing a firm’s architectural robustness (Harris, 2020).

Privacy Requirements

Privacy requirements embody customer and regulatory expectations. Adopting Fair Information Practices (FIPs)—including notice, consent, and redress—is a fundamental tenet that informs both operational and developmental objectives (Regan, 2015).
"Privacy by Design" seeks to integrate privacy-enhancing measures throughout the entire lifecycle of data usage (Cavoukian, 2011). Organizations are urged to respect users’ privacy rights, giving them control over their own data.

STRIDE Threat Modeling Methodology

STRIDE is a widely recognized threat modeling framework that assists in categorizing potential threats. Each element of the STRIDE model—Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, and Elevation of Privilege—requires corresponding security requirements.

Spoofing

Spoofing highlights vulnerabilities in authentication mechanisms. Organizations must assess the strength of their authentication processes (Shoniregun et al., 2019). Sharpened requirements dictate how user accounts are created, audited, and terminated, ensuring that authentication standards align with organizational needs.

Tampering

Integrity measures must be instituted to protect against tampering (Srinivasan et al., 2018). Attention to filesystem, network, and logging integrity becomes crucial.

Repudiation

Proper logging mechanisms are essential to prevent repudiation, thereby creating accountability (Sutherland, 2022). Auditing frameworks should facilitate systems that deter fraudulent activities.

Information Disclosure

To maintain confidentiality, information disclosure policies need to be robust. This includes safeguarding both data and metadata and ensuring network communications remain secure (Zhou et al., 2023).

Elevation of Privilege

Understanding the authorization processes is essential for preventing elevation of privilege attacks. Proper Access Control Lists (ACLs) and appropriate authorization structures must be implemented to manage access effectively (Karp et al., 2018).

Non-Requirements

Clear communication regarding what an organization will not defend against is equally important. Establishing non-requirements helps set realistic expectations for stakeholders and customers, informing them whether the current security model aligns with their risk tolerance (Anderson, 2008).

Conclusion

Understanding the intricate relationship between threats and security requirements is fundamental to effective risk management and security design. Crisp and well-defined requirements enable organizations to focus on the most critical threats that could undermine their security posture. By utilizing existing compliance frameworks, implementing PDR strategies, and adhering to methodologies like STRIDE, organizations can fortify their security architecture effectively. Ultimately, proactive integration of security principles from the start will yield more resilient systems.

References

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