Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool

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The Threat Modeling Tool is a core element of the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL). It allows software architects to identify and mitigate potential security issues early, when they are relatively easy and cost-effective to resolve. As a result, it greatly reduces the total cost of development. Also, we designed the tool with non-security experts in mind, making threat modeling easier for all developers by providing clear guidance on creating and analyzing threat models.

Threat Model Templates is an open source software project. Templates for the Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool. Jan 30, 2019 A model validation toggle feature was added to the tool's Options menu. Several links in the threat properties were updated. Minor UX changes were made to the tool's home screen. The Threat Modeling Tool now inherits the TLS settings of the host operating system and is supported in environments that require TLS 1.2 or later. The Threat Modeling Tool is a core element of the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL). It allows software architects to identify and mitigate potential security issues early, when they are relatively easy and cost-effective to resolve. As a result, it greatly reduces the total cost of development.

The tool enables anyone to:

Many larger organizations gravitated to Microsoft’s early approaches to threat modeling, largely because its public domain software was the only tool available since no commercial threat modeling products had not yet been introduced into the marketplace.

  • Communicate about the security design of their systems
  • Analyze those designs for potential security issues using a proven methodology
  • Suggest and manage mitigations for security issues

Here are some tooling capabilities and innovations, just to name a few:

  • Automation: Guidance and feedback in drawing a model
  • STRIDE per Element: Guided analysis of threats and mitigations
  • Reporting: Security activities and testing in the verification phase
  • Unique Methodology: Enables users to better visualize and understand threats
  • Designed for Developers and Centered on Software: many approaches are centered on assets or attackers. We are centered on software. We build on activities that all software developers and architects are familiar with -- such as drawing pictures for their software architecture
  • Focused on Design Analysis: The term 'threat modeling' can refer to either a requirements or a design analysis technique. Sometimes, it refers to a complex blend of the two. The Microsoft SDL approach to threat modeling is a focused design analysis technique

Next steps

The table below contains important links to get you started with the Threat Modeling Tool:See also: System requirements

StepDescription
1Download the Threat Modeling Tool
2Read Our getting started guide
3Get familiar with the features
4Learn about generated threat categories
5Find mitigations to generated threats

Resources

Here are a few older articles still relevant to threat modeling today:

Check out what a few Threat Modeling Tool experts have done:

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Version 7.3.00714.2 of the Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool (TMT) was released on July 14 2020 and contains the following changes:

Tool
  • Accessibility improvements

System requirements

Microsoft Threat Modeling ToolTool
  • Supported Operating Systems
    • Microsoft Windows 10 Anniversary Update or later
  • .NET Version Required
    • .NET 4.7.1 or later
  • Additional Requirements
    • An Internet connection is required to receive updates to the tool as well as templates.

Documentation and feedback

  • Documentation for the Threat Modeling Tool is located on docs.microsoft.com, and includes information about using the tool.

Next steps

Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool Free

Microsoft threat modeling tool license

Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool 2020

Download the latest version of the Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool.