Threat Assessment for Software Architects
The systems we are developing and building can be quite complex, and are starting to use techniques and technologies that are very new. Even though the techniques and technology are new, the way we assess the security and threats remains the same. It boils down to understanding all the bits and bobs that the system is made up of, and thinking through the most applicable weaknesses and threats, and then balancing those weaknesses and threats out with various different types of security controls.
This 3-hour workshop will cover:
* Why it’s important to think about the threats your application may face and the benefits that can bring to your development practice
* Six most common weaknesses that you need to assess for - using the STRIDE threat model
* How someone, or a threat, could take advantage of those weaknesses
* Understand the types and categories of security controls we can apply to our systems and how they can minimise those weaknesses
* How to create your own data flow diagram in a way that can help you identify weaknesses (and the controls needed)
Erica has worked in and can empathise with most IT and tech roles. Over the past seven years, she has been a consultant, engineer, tester, analyst, incident responder, and teacher. She has worked with a wide range of organisations, from small NZ businesses to global corporations. Being in Wellington, she has also done her share of public sector work. She knows what it feels like to try and move fast while staying secure.
Aside from work and various speaking events, Erica loves spending her time causing general chaos in the New Zealand infosec community by running events like Kiwicon, Kawaiicon, BSides Wellington, and Code Club Aotearoa.
Laura Bell Main is recognized as a global leader in developing secure software. As the CEO of SafeStack, a leading secure development education platform, she helps software development leaders worldwide engage their entire team in cyber security. She is the co-author of "Agile Application Security" (O’Reilly Media) and "Security for Everyone" (Holloway).
Her work has been featured in many international publications, including WIRED and MIT Tech Review. She has presented at BlackHat USA, and RenderATL, as well as leading international software development and cyber security conferences.