Application Security8 min read

A Developer's Guide to Threat Modeling

Threat modeling helps identify security requirements, pin down threats, and formulate mitigations early in the software development lifecycle.

Devon Smith

7/8/2026

What is Threat Modeling?

Threat modeling is a structured process to identify potential security threats and vulnerabilities, quantify their seriousness, and prioritize mitigations.

The STRIDE Methodology

The most common framework is Microsoft's STRIDE model: Spoofing identity: Pretending to be someone else. Tampering with data: Unauthorized modification. Repudiation: Claiming you didn't do an action. Information disclosure: Leaking data. Denial of service: Exhausting resources. Elevation of privilege: Gaining unauthorized administrative control.

Four Key Questions

Every threat modeling exercise must answer: 1. What are we building? 2. What can go wrong? 3. What are we going to do about it? 4. Did we do a good job?

Written By

Devon Smith

Devon is a security engineer and former software engineer passionate about DevSecOps.