PASTA

PASTA (Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis) is a threat modeling methodology designed to be scalable, repeatable, and applicable to a wide range of systems and organizations. The goal of PASTA is to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities in a system or application, and to use that information to help inform the design and implementation of appropriate security controls.

The PASTA methodology consists of seven phases:

  1. Preparation: In this phase, the scope and objectives of the threat modeling exercise are defined, and the team is assembled.

  2. Threat model initialization: In this phase, the system being modeled is defined, including its components, data flows, and trust boundaries.

  3. Data flow diagramming: In this phase, the system's data flows are diagrammed to identify potential attack surfaces and vulnerabilities.

  4. Threat identification: In this phase, potential threats are identified and prioritized based on their likelihood and impact.

  5. Threat profiling: In this phase, identified threats are analyzed in greater detail to understand their root causes and potential mitigations.

  6. Threat modeling report: In this phase, the results of the threat modeling exercise are compiled into a report that includes recommendations for addressing identified threats.

  7. Risk mitigation planning: In this phase, the recommendations from the threat modeling report are used to inform the development of an appropriate risk mitigation plan.

PASTA is a comprehensive and structured methodology that can be applied to a wide range of systems and organizations. It provides a systematic way to identify and prioritize potential threats, and to develop a risk mitigation plan that is tailored to the specific needs of the system or application being analyzed.

Last updated