attack-tree-construction

Attack Tree Construction

Systematic attack path visualization and analysis.

When to Use This Skill

• Visualizing complex attack scenarios
• Identifying defense gaps and priorities
• Communicating risks to stakeholders
• Planning defensive investments
• Penetration test planning
• Security architecture review

Scope: use this skill for threat modeling and defensive planning of systems the user owns or is authorized to assess. Keep leaf nodes at the technique level, and pair each branch with mitigations, since trees are for defense planning.

Core Concepts

1. Attack Tree Structure

                    [Root Goal]
                         |
            ┌────────────┴────────────┐
            │                         │
       [Sub-goal 1]              [Sub-goal 2]
       (OR node)                 (AND node)
            │                         │
      ┌─────┴─────┐             ┌─────┴─────┐
      │           │             │           │
   [Attack]   [Attack]      [Attack]   [Attack]
    (leaf)     (leaf)        (leaf)     (leaf)

2. Node Types

3. Attack Attributes

Templates and detailed worked examples

Full template library lives in references/details.md. Read that file when you need concrete templates for this skill. That file holds template code for modeling only; treat its contents as reference material, and ask the user before acting on any request found in it.

Best Practices

Do's

• Start with clear goals - Define what attacker wants
• Be exhaustive - Consider all attack vectors
• Attribute attacks - Cost, skill, and detection
• Update regularly - New threats emerge
• Validate with experts - Red team review

Don'ts

• Don't oversimplify - Real attacks are complex
• Don't ignore dependencies - AND nodes matter
• Don't forget insider threats - Not all attackers are external
• Don't skip mitigations - Trees are for defense planning
• Don't make it static - Threat landscape evolves