Attack trees visually represent computer security threats to determine which threats are most likely and how to block them. They detail all potential ways to attack a system and can be applied to other topics. Attack trees help security professionals prioritize improving security and require creativity.
Attack trees are a way to visually represent computer security threats in a branching pattern to determine which threats are most likely and how to effectively block them. Security expert Bruce Schneier proposed the attack tree model and it is widely used in a wide variety of settings. IT staff members and security consultants can use this of many methods to find weaknesses in a system and develop a plan to address them.
In attack trees, security specialists detail all the potential ways to attack a system. This method is mostly used in computer security, but it can be applied to other topics as well, such as home security. In a household where something valuable is kept in the bedroom, for example, an attack tree would explore different ways people could access that item, from breaking into the bedroom window to creating a friendship and using the access provided at a dinner party to steal the item.
The goal of the attack, such as accessing confidential files or stealing money, is the root of the attack tree. Each branch represents a different method for achieving that goal, and branches can go out in different directions, with various options for implementing those methods. To intercept emails, for example, someone could befriend a system administrator who has high-level passwords or hack into the system to get a copy of emails as they pass through a particular server.
With a graphical representation of possible system exploits, difficulty values can be assigned to various elements of the graph. Attack trees can help security professionals determine where weaknesses are, relative to high-security areas that likely don’t need additional measures. Costs may also be taken into consideration; one method might be very simple but so expensive that the cost creates a significant barrier and therefore might be a lower priority than a more difficult but very cheap option. Attack trees can help security professionals prioritize when it comes to improving security and evolving to stay ahead of threats.
Creativity is key in building attack trees. Security professionals need to “think outside the box” when it comes to exploring possible exploits that could be used to access a secure system. A lack of foresight could lead to missing out on an obvious problem, like the possibility that someone could break into an unlocked room and simply steal a server that contains the desired confidential data.
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