“Security is not a product, but a process. It’s the way we think about things, the way we reason and the way we approach problems.” — Bruce Schneier
The Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework is a comprehensive and organized approach to software security, utilizing Security Hot Spots to address common vulnerabilities and promote best practices.
During my time working on software security guidance at Microsoft, I developed a framework known I call the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework, which proved to be a valuable tool for organizing and prioritizing software security issues.
I used this Security Threats and Countermeasures framework to organize and structure actionable security knowledge in the form of guidelines and checklists.
I also used it to help build better evaluation criteria to identify key security decisions that could have a significant impact.
The Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework allowed everyone to collaborate better and to provide a more comprehensive approach to improving web application security.
Ultimately the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework makes it easier for developers and security professionals to understand and implement best practices in software security.
Security Threats and Countermeasures “Hot Spot” Categories
Over time, I discovered a method to organize our security principles, patterns, and practices into actionable categories that could group patterns of security knowledge into themes.
By focusing efforts around related concepts, these themes helped make security knowledge more actionable.
I referred to these categories as Security Hot Spots and used them as the backbone for the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework. Here are the Security Hot Spots that were used:
Category | Key Considerations |
---|---|
Auditing and Logging | Who did what and when? Auditing and logging refer to how your application records security-related events. |
Authentication | Who are you? Authentication is the process where an entity proves the identity of another entity, typically through credentials, such as a user name and password. |
Authorization | What can you do? Authorization is how your application provides access controls for resources and operations. |
Configuration Management | Who does your application run as? Which databases does it connect to? How is your application administered? How are these settings secured? Configuration management refers to how your application handles these operational issues. |
Cryptography | How are you keeping secrets (confidentiality)? How are you tamper-proofing your data or libraries (integrity)? How are you providing seeds for random values that must be cryptographically strong? Cryptography refers to how your application enforces confidentiality and integrity. |
Exception Management | When a method call in your application fails, what does your application do? How much do you reveal? Do you return friendly error information to end users? Do you pass valuable exception information back to the caller? Does your application fail gracefully? |
Input and Data Validation | How do you know that the input your application receives is valid and safe? Input validation refers to how your application filters, scrubs, or rejects input before additional processing. Consider constraining input through entry points and encoding output through exit points. Do you trust data from sources such as databases and file shares? |
Sensitive Data | How does your application handle sensitive data? Sensitive data refers to how your application handles any data that must be protected either in memory, over the network, or in persistent stores. |
Session Management | How does your application handle and protect user sessions? A session refers to a series of related interactions between a user and your Web application. |
Threats and Attacks Organized by the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework
With the Security Frame, it’s easy to walk the categories and think of potential security problems. Here’s a list of potential software performance problems, organized by the Security Frame:
Category | Threats |
---|---|
Auditing and Logging |
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Authentication |
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Authorization |
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configuration Management |
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Cryptography |
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Exception Management |
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Input and Data Validation |
|
Sensitive Data |
|
Session Management |
|
Vulnerabilities Organized by the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework
You can also use the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework to identify common mistakes that lead to the security problems above. Here’s a list of common design mistakes we find in applications:
Category | Vulnerabilities |
---|---|
Auditing and Logging |
|
Authentication |
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Authorization |
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Configuration Management |
|
Crytpography |
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Exception Management |
|
Input and Data Validation |
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Sensitive Data |
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Session Management |
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Countermeasures Organized by the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework
Here’s a list of common design strategies organized by the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework that lead to improved security:
Category | Countermeasures |
---|---|
Auditing and Logging |
|
Authentication |
|
Authorization |
|
Configuration Management |
|
Configuration Management |
|
Cryptography |
|
Exception Management |
|
Input and Data Validation |
|
Sensitive Data |
|
Session Management |
|
Leverage the Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework to Make Security More Accessible and Actionable
The Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework, along with the Security Hot Spots, have proven to be valuable tools in advancing software security.
By identifying and categorizing security threats and countermeasures, organizations can better prioritize and focus their efforts on the most critical security issues.
As the security landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial to continue refining and updating these frameworks to ensure they remain relevant and effective in addressing new and emerging threats.
By implementing these frameworks and staying vigilant, organizations can better protect themselves and their customers from the increasing threats of cyber attacks.
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[…] make the principles more useful, we organized them using our Security Frame. Our Security Frame is a set of actionable, relevant categories that shape your key […]