The Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis (PASTA) is a comprehensive, risk-centric threat modeling framework that consists of seven stages. To illustrate this framework, let’s follow the story of TechGuard, a growing software company developing a new cloud-based financial management application.
Stage 1: Define Objectives
TechGuard’s leadership gathers to set clear business and security goals for their new application. This stage aligns security efforts with business objectives, ensuring a holistic approach to threat modeling.
Stage 2: Define Technical Scope
The development team outlines the application’s architecture, including its cloud infrastructure, APIs, and user interfaces. Defining scope helps focus the threat modeling efforts on relevant components.
Stage 3: Decompose the Application
TechGuard’s architects create detailed data flow diagrams, mapping out how information moves through the system. This stage reveals potential vulnerabilities in data transmission and storage.
Stage 4: Threat Analysis
The security team researches and catalogs potential threats, from common cybercriminal tactics to sophisticated state-sponsored attacks. Threat analysis considers both known and emerging threats specific to financial applications.
Stage 5: Vulnerability Analysis
TechGuard conducts thorough vulnerability assessments, uncovering weaknesses in their code, configurations, and third-party integrations. This stage identifies specific points of exploitation that attackers might target.
Stage 6: Attack Modeling
The team creates attack trees, mapping out potential paths an attacker might take to compromise the system. Attack modeling helps prioritize defenses by visualizing the most likely or impactful attack scenarios.
Stage 7: Risk Analysis and Mitigation
TechGuard evaluates the business impact of identified risks and develops a prioritized mitigation strategy. This final stage ensures that security efforts are aligned with business priorities and resource constraints.Throughout this process, TechGuard fosters collaboration between developers, security experts, and business stakeholders, creating a shared understanding of the application’s security posture and risk landscape. By following the PASTA framework, TechGuard not only identifies potential threats but also develops a comprehensive, risk-aware approach to securing their financial application, balancing security needs with business objectives.
A PASTA for a Medival City Protection
In the kingdom of Eastmark, Lord Aldric received news of the approaching Mongol hordes. Determined to protect his people, he embarked on a journey to build a new, fortified city using the PASTA framework:
Stage 1: Define Objectives
Lord Aldric gathered his advisors to set clear goals for the new city. “We must create a stronghold that can withstand siege and protect our people,” he declared. They prioritized defense, sustainability, and economic prosperity.
Stage 2: Define Technical Scope
The master builder, Elara, outlined the city’s architecture. “We’ll need thick stone walls, a network of underground tunnels, and strategically placed watchtowers,” she explained, sketching plans for the fortifications and inner structures.
Stage 3: Decompose the Application
Elara and her team created detailed maps showing how resources, people, and information would flow through the city. They identified key vulnerabilities, such as water supply routes and potential weak points in the walls.
Stage 4: Threat Analysis
The spymaster, Thorne, presented intelligence on Mongol tactics. “They excel at siege warfare and use fire arrows,” he warned. The team cataloged potential threats, from battering rams to infiltration attempts.
Stage 5: Vulnerability Analysis
As construction began, Elara’s team continuously assessed weaknesses. They discovered that the eastern gate’s design left it vulnerable to battering rams and promptly reinforced it.
Stage 6: Attack Modeling
Lord Aldric’s strategists created scenarios of potential Mongol attacks, mapping out likely siege tactics and infiltration routes. This helped them prioritize defenses and plan counterstrategies.
Stage 7: Risk Analysis and Mitigation
The council evaluated the impact of each potential vulnerability and developed a prioritized defense plan. They decided to invest heavily in water storage and fire prevention measures, recognizing these as critical to withstanding a prolonged siege.
As the city rose from the plains, its defenses shaped by the PASTA framework, Lord Aldric felt confident in their preparations. The new city stood as a testament to strategic planning and foresight, ready to face the challenges that lay ahead. Do remember that, a real threat is not a question of if but when. Early preperation is always on our advantage.
