Metrics and Continuous Improvement

DevSecOps culture demands metrics, and threat modeling must demonstrate measurable value. Traditional metrics like "number of threats identified" provide limited insight. Effective metrics connect threat modeling activities to security outcomes and business value.

Velocity metrics ensure threat modeling doesn't impede development speed. Track time from threat identification to mitigation, percentage of deployments delayed by security issues, and developer time spent on threat modeling activities. These metrics identify process bottlenecks and guide optimization efforts. The goal is security that enables rather than restricts velocity.

Coverage metrics reveal threat modeling completeness. Measure percentage of components with threat models, frequency of threat model updates, and alignment with actual vulnerabilities discovered. Low coverage indicates either missing analysis or overly complex processes. Regular updates suggest healthy continuous threat modeling.

Effectiveness metrics validate threat modeling value. Compare identified threats with actual security incidents, track whether mitigations prevent real attacks, and measure security incident reduction over time. These outcome-based metrics justify threat modeling investment and guide process improvements.