A decade of model-driven security

In model-driven development, system designs are specified using graphical modeling languages like UML and system artifacts such as code and configuration data are automatically generated from the models. Model-driven security is a specialization of this paradigm, where system designs are modeled together with their security requirements and security infrastructures are directly generated from the models. Over the past decade, we have explored different facets of model-driven security. This research includes different modeling languages, code generators, model analysis tools, and even model transformations. For example, in multi-tier systems, we used model transformations to transform a security policy, formulated for a system's data model, to a security policy governing the behavior of the system's graphical user interface. In this paper, we survey progress made, tool support, and case studies, which attest to the flexibility and power of such a multi-faceted approach to building secure systems.