Threat-Driven Software Development

Threat-Driven Software Development: Defending online services from modern threat actors
English | 2026 | ISBN: 0135567386 | 512 Pages | EPUB | 5.4 MB
Threat-Driven Software Development: Defending online services from modern threat actors is a practical, field-tested guide authored by Microsoft security leaders Michael Howard, Lee Holmes, Sherrod DeGrippo and Shawn Hernan. Drawing on decades of experience in threat intelligence, red teaming, and secure architecture at scale, the authors describe how to defend against what real adversaries actually do in the field and maps that knowledge through concrete engineering. Grounded in the Microsoft Secure Future Initiative (SFI), and threat intelligence, the book maps attacker behaviors to secure-by-design and secure-by-default principles, identity and secret protection, supply chain and engineering system hardening, isolation, monitoring and detection, and effective red team/response workflows. The book also shows how AI can be applied defensively; augmenting threat modeling, code review, threat detection and response, while helping software teams use AI to ship faster without compromising security. With concise, accessible chapters; each infused with real-world stories and threat intel, readers learn how to prioritize work against nation-state and criminal tradecraft, shape the defensive battlefield, and strengthen the human element. The result is a hands-on playbook that empowers developers and IT professionals to build resilient online services, measurably reduce risk, and stay ahead of modern threat actors.