ISACA guidance empowers cyber leaders to anticipate risks, engage executives, and operationalize success

Schaumburg, IL, USA–As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, organizations can no longer afford to wait for a breach to take action. A new white paper from ISACA, Threat Modeling Revisited, equips cybersecurity and IT leaders with actionable insights to get ahead of emerging threats before they strike.

Threat modeling—examining systems and architecture from a hacker’s perspective—is more than a security best practice; it’s a blueprint for resilience. This paper serves as a practical guide for CISOs, CIOs, and information security leaders to effectively implement threat modeling, engage leadership at every level, and tailor their approach across industries. It also offers tips to seamlessly operationalize the process, making cybersecurity a dynamic, organization-wide priority.

How CIOs and CISOs Can Approach Threat Modeling

Threat modeling regularly falls under the jurisdiction of CIOs and CISOs, and the paper emphasizes the importance of involving the executive team in risk assessment and decision making around this, highlighting three key strategies they should consider when engaging in threat modeling:

1. Make risk part of the CISO strategy—Threat modeling is intended to provide clarity into how to prioritize high level risks, which then allows leadership to best protect their organization.
2. Help CIOs grow effectively—With the CIO responsible for keeping up with and introducing new technologies, the CISO can be a strong partner by connecting them with the right cybersecurity resources to support their enterprise decisions. By working closely with one another, both positions can be strengthened and better ensure a high level of data protection for their enterprises.
3. Align CISOs and CIOs to build real resilience—Helping CIOs and CISOs get on the same page through learning or strategy sessions can foster shared objectives, lead to earlier identification of risks, and combine strengths to make a greater impact.

Operationalizing Threat Modeling

Even if organizations see the value of threat modeling, it can sometimes be seen as a tedious task. However, the paper offers the following four approaches to convert threat modeling from a one-time task to a consistent and smooth part of their organizations’ operations:

1. Start small and stay focused—Starting with a clear plan when approaching risks allows for more resources to be utilized for top priority threats.
2. Focus on the threats that matter—Though there may be many areas to cover, addressing the threats that are more likely and time sensitive is critical, helping lessen the possibility of breaches going undetected.
3. Turn risks into fixes—Determining the risks is important, but impactful threat modeling is based on action. When a large risk is identified, team members must quickly take steps to avoid any further harm.
4. Implement continuous threat modeling—Threat models must be regularly reviewed and updated to maintain effectiveness.

“Highly successful organizations know that threat modeling is not a burden, but an invaluable asset,” says Jon Brandt, ISACA director, professional practices and innovation. “Through focused planning and action, it's a powerful mechanism to anticipate risk, align security with business objectives, and build resilience.”

To access the complimentary white paper, visit www.isaca.org/resources/white-papers/2025/threat-modeling-revisited. Additional cybersecurity resources from ISACA can be found at www.isaca.org/resources/cybersecurity.

About ISACA

ISACA^® (www.isaca.org) champions the global workforce advancing trust in technology. For more than 55 years, ISACA has empowered its community of 185,000+ members with the knowledge, credentials, training and network they need to thrive in fields like information security, governance, assurance, risk management, data privacy and emerging tech. With a presence in more than 190 countries and with nearly 230 chapters worldwide, ISACA offers resources tailored to every stage of members’ careers—helping them to thrive in a rapidly changing digital landscape, drive trusted innovation and ensure a more secure digital world. Through the ISACA Foundation, ISACA also expands IT and education career pathways, fostering opportunities to grow the next generation of technology professionals.

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