What is an important use of threat modeling?

Identifying potential security threats is a critical use of threat modeling because it enables organizations to anticipate and prioritize risks that could impact their systems. Threat modeling systematically examines architectural and design decisions in software development to spot vulnerabilities and potential attackers' actions. By doing so, teams can proactively address these threats during the software design phase, rather than reacting to them after deployment. This not only enhances the overall security posture of the application but also helps in the efficient allocation of resources toward mitigating the most significant risks, ultimately leading to a more secure software product.

Creating visual diagrams can be a part of the threat modeling process, but it is primarily a means to communicate the findings rather than the main objective. Documenting system performance is related to assessing how well a system operates, which does not directly connect to identifying security risks. Training development teams can reinforce security practices but is not the primary focus of threat modeling itself. The central purpose of threat modeling is the identification and analysis of security threats to improve software security.