IoT Threat Model Builder
IoT Threat Model Builder
Identify and Mitigate IoT Security Threats
Learning Objectives
By playing this game, you will be able to:
- Identify security threats using the STRIDE framework
- Analyze IoT system architectures for vulnerabilities
- Select appropriate mitigations for each threat category
- Evaluate the effectiveness of security controls
- Prioritize security investments based on risk assessment
- Apply defense-in-depth strategies to IoT systems
Threat modeling is like being a security detective
Imagine you’re protecting a house. You’d ask: - Where are the doors and windows? (entry points) - What valuables are inside? (assets) - Who might want to break in? (threat actors) - How might they try to get in? (attack vectors) - What can we do to stop them? (mitigations)
STRIDE is a memory helper for 6 types of threats: - Spoofing - Pretending to be someone else - Tampering - Changing data without permission - Repudiation - Denying you did something - Information Disclosure - Data leaking out - Denial of Service - Making things unavailable - Elevation of Privilege - Getting more access than allowed
In IoT systems, devices like sensors, cameras, and smart appliances all need protection. This game teaches you to think like a security professional!
How to Play
- Choose Difficulty Level: Easy (4 scenarios), Medium (4 scenarios), or Hard (4 scenarios)
- Read the Scenario: Understand the IoT system architecture and assets
- Identify Threats: Select one threat that matches the scenario priority; real risk rankings depend on context
- Choose Mitigations: Pick security controls to defend against the threat
- Run Attack Simulation: Inspect a deterministic mapping of attacks to required controls
- Review Results: See which attacks were blocked and which succeeded
- Learn & Iterate: Complete all scenarios to practice threat modeling
Scoring: +30 for the expected threat; +15 per useful mitigation, −10 per unrelated selection (mitigation subtotal floors at 0). Each scenario scores once. Maximum 90 per scenario, 360 per difficulty. Security Architect requires 360; Threat Analyst requires at least 180. A streak requires the expected threat and all useful controls with no unrelated selections.
STRIDE Framework Reference
| Category | Question to Ask | Example Threats |
|---|---|---|
| Spoofing | Can an attacker pretend to be someone/something else? | Fake device, stolen credentials, session hijacking |
| Tampering | Can an attacker modify data in transit or at rest? | Man-in-the-middle, firmware modification, database manipulation |
| Repudiation | Can users deny their actions? | Missing audit logs, unsigned transactions |
| Information Disclosure | Can data be exposed to unauthorized parties? | Eavesdropping, data breach, verbose error messages |
| Denial of Service | Can the system be made unavailable? | DDoS, resource exhaustion, battery drain attacks |
| Elevation of Privilege | Can an attacker gain higher access? | Privilege escalation, remote code execution, root access |
IoT Threat Model Builder
Identify the most important threat, select proportionate mitigations, and inspect which attacks the design blocks.