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Writing style changes to threat-modeling page (#1819)
Co-authored-by: matchboxbananasynergy <107055883+matchboxbananasynergy@users.noreply.github.com> Signed-off-by: Daniel Gray <dng@disroot.org>
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@ -3,19 +3,19 @@ title: "Threat Modeling"
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icon: 'material/target-account'
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icon: 'material/target-account'
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---
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---
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Balancing security, privacy and usability is one of the first and most difficult tasks you'll face on your privacy journey. Everything is a trade-off: The more secure something is, the more restricting or inconvenient it generally is, et cetera. Often people find that the problem with the tools they see recommended is they're just too hard to start using!
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Balancing security, privacy, and usability is one of the first and most difficult tasks you'll face on your privacy journey. Everything is a trade-off: The more secure something is, the more restricting or inconvenient it generally is, etc. Often, people find that the problem with the tools they see recommended is that they're just too hard to start using!
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If you wanted to use the **most** secure tools available, you'd have to sacrifice *a lot* of usability. And even then, ==nothing is ever fully secure.== There's **high** security, but never **full** security. That's why threat models are important.
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If you wanted to use the **most** secure tools available, you'd have to sacrifice *a lot* of usability. And, even then, ==nothing is ever fully secure.== There's **high** security, but never **full** security. That's why threat models are important.
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**So, what are these threat models anyways?**
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**So, what are these threat models, anyway?**
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==A threat model is a list of the most probable threats to your security/privacy endeavors.== Since it's impossible to protect yourself against **every** attack(er), you should focus on the **most probable** threats. In computer security, a threat is a potential event that could undermine your efforts to stay private and secure.
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==A threat model is a list of the most probable threats to your security and privacy endeavors.== Since it's impossible to protect yourself against **every** attack(er), you should focus on the **most probable** threats. In computer security, a threat is an event that could undermine your efforts to stay private and secure.
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By focusing on the threats that matter to you, this narrows down your thinking about the protection you need, so you can choose the tools that are right for the job.
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Focusing on the threats that matter to you narrows down your thinking about the protection you need, so you can choose the tools that are right for the job.
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## Creating your threat model
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## Creating Your Threat Model
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To identify what could happen to the things you value and determine from whom you need to protect them, you want to answer these five questions:
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To identify what could happen to the things you value and determine from whom you need to protect them, you should answer these five questions:
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1. What do I want to protect?
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1. What do I want to protect?
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2. Who do I want to protect it from?
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2. Who do I want to protect it from?
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@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ Depending on who your adversaries are, under some circumstances, this list might
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It is important to distinguish between what might happen and the probability it may happen. For instance, there is a threat that your building might collapse, but the risk of this happening is far greater in San Francisco (where earthquakes are common) than in Stockholm (where they are not).
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It is important to distinguish between what might happen and the probability it may happen. For instance, there is a threat that your building might collapse, but the risk of this happening is far greater in San Francisco (where earthquakes are common) than in Stockholm (where they are not).
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Assessing risks is both a personal and a subjective process. Many people find certain threats unacceptable no matter the likelihood they will occur because the mere presence of the threat at any likelihood is not worth the cost. In other cases, people disregard high risks because they don't view the threat as a problem.
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Assessing risks is both a personal and subjective process. Many people find certain threats unacceptable, no matter the likelihood they will occur, because the mere presence of the threat is not worth the cost. In other cases, people disregard high risks because they don't view the threat as a problem.
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*Write down which threats you are going to take seriously, and which may be too rare or too harmless (or too difficult to combat) to worry about.*
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*Write down which threats you are going to take seriously, and which may be too rare or too harmless (or too difficult to combat) to worry about.*
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@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ There are many ways that an adversary could gain access to your data. For exampl
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==The motives of adversaries differ widely, as do their tactics.== A government trying to prevent the spread of a video showing police violence may be content to simply delete or reduce the availability of that video. In contrast, a political opponent may wish to gain access to secret content and publish that content without you knowing.
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==The motives of adversaries differ widely, as do their tactics.== A government trying to prevent the spread of a video showing police violence may be content to simply delete or reduce the availability of that video. In contrast, a political opponent may wish to gain access to secret content and publish that content without you knowing.
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Security planning involves understanding how bad the consequences could be if an adversary successfully gains access to one of your assets. To determine this, you should consider the capability of your adversary. For example, your mobile phone provider has access to all your phone records. A hacker on an open Wi-Fi network can access your unencrypted communications. Your government might have stronger capabilities.
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Security planning involves understanding how bad the consequences could be if an adversary successfully gains access to one of your assets. To determine this, you should consider the capability of your adversary. For example, your mobile phone provider has access to all of your phone records. A hacker on an open Wi-Fi network can access your unencrypted communications. Your government might have stronger capabilities.
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*Write down what your adversary might want to do with your private data.*
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*Write down what your adversary might want to do with your private data.*
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@ -61,15 +61,15 @@ Security planning involves understanding how bad the consequences could be if an
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==There is no perfect option for security.== Not everyone has the same priorities, concerns, or access to resources. Your risk assessment will allow you to plan the right strategy for you, balancing convenience, cost, and privacy.
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==There is no perfect option for security.== Not everyone has the same priorities, concerns, or access to resources. Your risk assessment will allow you to plan the right strategy for you, balancing convenience, cost, and privacy.
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For example, an attorney representing a client in a national security case may be willing to go to greater lengths to protect communications about that case, such as using encrypted email than a mother who regularly emails her daughter funny cat videos.
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For example, an attorney representing a client in a national security case may be willing to go to greater lengths to protect communications about that case, such as using encrypted email, than a mother who regularly emails her daughter funny cat videos.
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*Write down what options you have available to you to help mitigate your unique threats. Note if you have any financial constraints, technical constraints, or social constraints.*
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*Write down what options you have available to you to help mitigate your unique threats. Note if you have any financial constraints, technical constraints, or social constraints.*
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### Try it yourself: Protecting your belongings
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### Try it yourself: Protecting Your Belongings
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These questions can apply to a wide variety of situations, online and offline. As a generic demonstration of how these questions work, let's build a plan to keep your house and possessions safe.
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These questions can apply to a wide variety of situations, online and offline. As a generic demonstration of how these questions work, let's build a plan to keep your house and possessions safe.
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**What do you want to protect? (Or *what do you have that is worth protecting?*)**
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**What do you want to protect? (Or, *what do you have that is worth protecting?*)**
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: Your assets might include jewelry, electronics, important documents, or photos.
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: Your assets might include jewelry, electronics, important documents, or photos.
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@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ These questions can apply to a wide variety of situations, online and offline. A
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**How likely is it that you will need to protect it?**
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**How likely is it that you will need to protect it?**
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: Does your neighborhood have a history of burglaries? How trustworthy are your roommates/guests? What are the capabilities of your adversaries? What are the risks you should consider?
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: Does your neighborhood have a history of burglaries? How trustworthy are your roommates or guests? What are the capabilities of your adversaries? What are the risks you should consider?
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**How bad are the consequences if you fail?**
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**How bad are the consequences if you fail?**
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: Do you have anything in your house that you cannot replace? Do you have the time or money to replace these things? Do you have insurance that covers goods stolen from your home?
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: Do you have anything in your house that you cannot replace? Do you have the time or money to replace those things? Do you have insurance that covers goods stolen from your home?
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**How much trouble are you willing to go through to prevent these consequences?**
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**How much trouble are you willing to go through to prevent these consequences?**
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@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Only once you have asked yourself these questions will you be in a position to a
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Making a security plan will help you to understand the threats that are unique to you and to evaluate your assets, your adversaries, and your adversaries' capabilities, along with the likelihood of risks you face.
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Making a security plan will help you to understand the threats that are unique to you and to evaluate your assets, your adversaries, and your adversaries' capabilities, along with the likelihood of risks you face.
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## Further reading
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## Further Reading
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For people looking to increase their privacy and security online, we've compiled a list of common threats our visitors face or goals our visitors have, to give you some inspiration and demonstrate the basis of our recommendations.
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For people looking to increase their privacy and security online, we've compiled a list of common threats our visitors face or goals our visitors have, to give you some inspiration and demonstrate the basis of our recommendations.
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