stride-analysis-patterns

Systematic threat identification using the STRIDE methodology.

When to Use This Skill

• Starting new threat modeling sessions
• Analyzing existing system architecture
• Reviewing security design decisions
• Creating threat documentation
• Training teams on threat identification
• Compliance and audit preparation

Core Concepts

1. STRIDE Categories

S - Spoofing       → Authentication threats
T - Tampering      → Integrity threats
R - Repudiation    → Non-repudiation threats
I - Information    → Confidentiality threats
    Disclosure
D - Denial of      → Availability threats
    Service
E - Elevation of   → Authorization threats
    Privilege

2. Threat Analysis Matrix

| Category | Question | Control Family | | ------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | -------------- | | Spoofing | Can attacker pretend to be someone else? | Authentication | | Tampering | Can attacker modify data in transit/rest? | Integrity | | Repudiation | Can attacker deny actions? | Logging/Audit | | Info Disclosure | Can attacker access unauthorized data? | Encryption | | DoS | Can attacker disrupt availability? | Rate limiting | | Elevation | Can attacker gain higher privileges? | Authorization |

Templates and detailed worked examples

Full template library lives in references/details.md. Read that file when you need concrete templates for this skill.

Best Practices

Do's

• Involve stakeholders - Security, dev, and ops perspectives
• Be systematic - Cover all STRIDE categories
• Prioritize realistically - Focus on high-impact threats
• Update regularly - Threat models are living documents
• Use visual aids - DFDs help communication

Don'ts

• Don't skip categories - Each reveals different threats
• Don't assume security - Question every component
• Don't work in isolation - Collaborative modeling is better
• Don't ignore low-probability - High-impact threats matter
• Don't stop at identification - Follow through with mitigations