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

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

Type	Symbol	Description
OR	Oval	Any child achieves goal
AND	Rectangle	All children required
Leaf	Box	Atomic attack step

3. Attack Attributes

Attribute	Description	Values
Cost	Resources needed	$, $$, $$$
Time	Duration to execute	Hours, Days, Weeks
Skill	Expertise required	Low, Medium, High
Detection	Likelihood of detection	Low, Medium, High

Templates and detailed worked examples

Full template library lives in references/details.md. Read that file when you need concrete templates for this skill.

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