Reviewing the VAST threat model and use cases

The Visual, Agile, and Simple Threat (VAST) threat model is an approach that casts a wide net, as the word vast suggests. It’s a threat model that attempts to look at all possible threats in all scenarios and, as we may imagine, it can be a daunting task to take on. The basis of this model, similar to other models, is based on an open source threat analysis tool, in this case, called ThreatModeler. In the case of the VAST model, you use a data flow diagram for the organization as well as an organizational flow diagram to identify any operational threats. One of the benefits of the VAST model is that it addresses operational risks, whereas some of the other models do not. Another benefit of this model is that it is far-reaching, so you can look at an organization as a whole and both technical and non-technical components to complete the threat model. Some of the downsides of the VAST threat model are that it can be overwhelming, depending...