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Security16 September 2026·6 min read

A threat model for an LLM application, in one hour

A lightweight session that finds the biggest risks before launch, using a whiteboard and the right questions.

You don't need a lengthy exercise to find the main risks. Draw the system, mark where data and instructions enter and leave, and ask what an attacker or a mistake could do at each point.

Agenda

  • Draw the flow: users, prompts, retrieval sources, tools, outputs, storage, third parties.
  • Mark trust boundaries — what comes from outside, what is untrusted text.
  • For each boundary ask: what if this input is hostile? What if it's wrong?
  • List what the system can do with side effects, and who approves them.
  • Rank risks by impact and likelihood; assign owners and controls.

Repeat the session when you add a tool, data source or external integration. New connections are new attack surface.

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