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Threat Modeling

What is Threat Modeling?

A structured approach to identifying and prioritizing potential security threats to a system, application, or organization and defining countermeasures.

Information Security

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as threat modeling. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on threat modeling

Requirements naming threat modeling across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

PTES2 controls

Per PTES Threat Modeling phase: model threats. Requirements include (a) identify threat agents relevant to target including external + internal + nation-state + criminal + (b) model attack scenarios + paths + (c) determine motivations + capabilities + (d) alig...

PTESPHASE-3 · Threat Modeling

Conduct threat modeling for all major features and architectural changes. Use established methodologies (STRIDE, PASTA, attack trees).

SBD-DEV-06 · Threat Modeling

Perform threat modelling to identify potential threats and enumerate mitigating controls, covering both the running application and the artefacts and pipeline that produce it.

ASBv3-DS-1 · Conduct threat modeling

Conduct threat modeling. Threat modeling is the process of identifying and addressing application security design flaws within a design, before code is created.

CIS-16.14 · Conduct Threat Modeling

Conduct cloud-native threat modeling: enumerate assets, trust boundaries and threats (including the v2 ransomware use case) to drive control selection.

CNCF-SA-THREATMODEL · Threat Modeling
FedRAMP High1 control

Developer Testing and Evaluation | Threat Modeling and Vulnerability Analyses. Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to perform threat modeling and vulnerability analyses during development and the subsequent testing

SA-11(2) · Developer Testing and Evaluation | Threat Modeling and Vulnerability Analyses. Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to perform threat modeling and vulnerability analyses during development and the subsequent testing

Questions people ask about threat modeling

What is Threat Modeling?
A structured approach to identifying and prioritizing potential security threats to a system, application, or organization and defining countermeasures.
Why is Threat Modeling important for compliance?
Threat Modeling is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding threat modeling helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Threat Modeling?
Threat Modeling appears in the requirement text of PTES, Secure by Design: A Guide for Manufacturers (CISA), Azure Security Benchmark, CIS Controls v8, CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Across these standards we have identified 8 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Threat Modeling?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how threat modeling applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Threat Modeling applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.