Overcoming Fear of the Threat Model

In recognising that it is the human factor that generally identifies risk and maps out the functionality of a system its goal in other words it is clear that this strength can be undermined by fallibility. The question we need to ask is how do we optimise the strengths of the human element and minimise the risk they present to the system? How do we do the security job effectively without leading to a climate of fear? Unfortunately undertaking a critical security analysis of a design will almost inevitably point out critical errors, or required design adjustments. When applied late in the design process the impact is high often working against the analyst when presenting the results. This time around the fear starts with the analyst. The purpose of this paper is to mark those elements of the connected world and the publicised attacks on it, and to identify steps that security engineers should be taking to minimise the concerns raised. Addressing the fear of the threat model, promoting why good design works, relegating the “movie plot” threats to the fiction they belong in.