Documenting Your First Threat Model

Clear documentation transforms your threat modeling exercise from a one-time activity into a reusable security resource. Your documentation should be accessible to various audiences, from developers implementing fixes to managers approving security investments. Focus on clarity and actionability rather than exhaustive detail.

Start with an executive summary that explains what you analyzed, key findings, and recommended priorities. Business leaders need to understand security risks and resource requirements without wading through technical details. Highlight the most critical threats, their potential business impact, and estimated mitigation costs. This summary often determines whether your recommendations receive support and funding.

Create a detailed findings section organizing threats by component or asset. For each threat, document the attack scenario, likelihood and impact ratings, existing controls, and recommended mitigations. Use consistent formatting to make information easy to scan and compare. Include references to industry standards or known vulnerabilities where applicable, lending credibility to your findings.

Provide clear, actionable recommendations prioritized by risk and feasibility. Quick wins that address high-risk issues should top the list. Group related recommendations to enable efficient implementation. For each recommendation, estimate implementation effort and ongoing operational impact. This practical information helps teams plan security improvements alongside other development work.