Security modeling and the application life cycle

• US 20070157311A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vasireddy, Srinath, Meier, John, Dunner, Michael, Wastell, Blaine, Murukan, Anandha
• Application Number:
  US11/321,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security

Abstract

A security engineering system and methodology associated with the application life cycle is provided. The subject innovation provides a threat modeling system can be employed to identify threats and vulnerabilities associated with stages of the application life cycle. In accordance therewith, the novel innovation can facilitate identification of common issues that can arise during a threat modeling activity. The innovation can provide for a systematic mechanism to identify threats and/or vulnerabilities in accordance with the application life cycle.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates security modeling of an application life cycle, comprising:

an input component that accepts an input; and

a threat modeling component that generates a threat model of the application life cycle based at least in part upon the input.

2. The system of claim 1, the input is a usage scenario based at least in part upon an architecture of the application.

3. The system of claim 2, the threat modeling component comprises a security objectives definition component that establishes a security objective based at least in part upon a criterion of the architecture.

4. The system of claim 3, the threat modeling component further comprises an analyzer component that analyzes the architecture and establishes the criterion.

5. The system of claim 4, the threat modeling component further comprises a security issue identifier that determines at least one of a threat and a vulnerability based at least in part upon the criterion.

6. The system of claim 5, the analyzer component comprises:

an application overview component that facilitates determination of application-specific factors that assist in determination of the one the threat and the vulnerability; and

an application decomposition component that assists in separating the application to facilitate a detailed examination of the threat.

7. The system of claim 6, the security issue identifier component comprises a threat identifier that determines the threat based at least in part upon the scenario.

8. The system of claim 7, the security issue identifier component further comprises a vulnerability identifier component that reviews one or more layers of the application and determines a weakness based at least in part upon the threat.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component that infers an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.

10. A computer-implemented method of modeling performance of an application, comprising:

identifying a usage scenario;

identifying a security objective based at least in part upon the usage scenario;

creating an overview of the application; and

identifying a threat based at least in part upon the overview.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising decomposing the application to facilitate an examination of the threat.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising reviewing at least one layer of the application and identifying a vulnerability associated with the threat.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, the act of identifying the security objective comprises:

identifying data to protect;

identifying compliance requirements;

identifying quality of service requirements; and

identifying intangible assets to protect.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, the act of creating an overview of the application comprises:

generating an end-to-end deployment scenario of the application;

identifying roles associated with the application;

identifying a key usage scenario;

identifying technologies associated with the application; and

identifying a plurality of application security mechanisms.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, the act of identifying the threat comprises:

identifying at least one of a common threat and an attack;

identifying the threat based at least in part upon the usage scenario; and

identifying the threat based at least in part upon a data flow of the application.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, the act of identifying the threat further comprises employing an attack tree that represents a goal of an attacker.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, the act of decomposing the application comprises:

identifying a trust boundary of the application;

identifying the data flow of the application;

identifying an entry point of the application; and

identifying an exit point of the application.

18. A computer-executable system that facilitates security modeling of an application, comprising:

means for identifying a usage scenario associated with the application;

means for identifying a security objective based at least in part upon the usage scenario;

means for establishing an application overview;

means for generating a decomposition of the application to identify at least one of a trust boundary, a data flow, an entry point and an exit point; and

means for identifying a threat based at least in part upon one of the security objective, the application overview and the application decomposition.

19. The computer-executable system of claim 18, the means for establishing an overview is an end-to-end scenario diagram.

20. The computer-executable system of claim 19, the means for identifying a threat is an attack tree.