Practical Business Example: Digital Booking Platform

A service company launches a digital booking platform that processes customer data and online payments to support service reservations and transactions. 

Security considerations are addressed late in the development process, resulting in weak access controls, unclear ownership of security risks, and insufficient protection of sensitive data. 

Following a data exposure incident, the company experiences loss of customer trust, operational disruption, and increased regulatory scrutiny. 

Research from NIST (2018) highlights that such incidents often stem from inadequate risk assessment during the system design phase.

To resolve these challenges, the company applies the STRIDE threat modeling framework during the redesign of the digital booking platform. 

STRIDE provides a systematic method for identifying security threats by categorizing them into Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, and Elevation of Privilege. 

This structured approach ensures that security risks are identified comprehensively and linked directly to business processes and digital assets.

Using STRIDE, the organization begins by identifying critical assets that require protection. These assets include:

• Customer personal data

• Payment information

• Booking records 

• Administrative  privileges 

Identifying these assets clarifies what is most valuable to the business and establishes a foundation for meaningful threat analysis and prioritization.

The company then applies the STRIDE categories to identify specific threat scenarios affecting the digital booking platform. 

Spoofing threats involve unauthorized users impersonating legitimate customers or administrators, while tampering threats relate to the manipulation of booking or payment data. 

Repudiation risks occur when users deny transactions or bookings, leading to disputes. Information disclosure threats include the exposure of sensitive personal or financial data.

Denial-of-service threats could disrupt platform availability, and elevation-of-privilege threats involve unauthorized access to administrative functions.

Each identified threat is evaluated based on its likelihood of occurrence and potential business impact. 

This likelihood × impact assessment enables the company to prioritize risks effectively and focus security efforts where they provide the greatest business value. 

According to ISO/IEC 27005 (2022), structured risk evaluation supports informed decision-making and aligns security measures with organizational risk tolerance.

Based on the risk assessment, the company implements targeted security controls to mitigate the most critical threats. 

Strong authentication mechanisms address spoofing risks, while data validation, encryption, and integrity checks mitigate tampering and information disclosure.

Logging and audit trails support non-repudiation, system monitoring reduces denial-of-service impact, and least-privilege access controls prevent unauthorized elevation of privileges.

After implementing the selected controls, remaining residual risks are formally documented and accepted by management. 

This step ensures clear accountability for security decisions and integrates risk ownership into organizational governance. 

Formal risk acceptance reduces uncertainty and demonstrates a mature approach to security management.

In conclusion, applying the STRIDE framework guides the company from a reactive security posture to a proactive and structured solution. 

By identifying threats early, assessing their likelihood and impact, and prioritizing appropriate controls, STRIDE embeds security into the design of the digital booking platform.

This results in improved customer trust, stronger regulatory compliance, and enhanced operational resilience.