microSecEnD: A Dataset of Security-Enriched Dataflow Diagrams for Microservice Applications

Abstract

Dataflow diagrams (DFDs) are useful resources in securing applications since they show a software system’s architecture and allow assessing architectural security and weaknesses. Enriching them with annotations about implemented security features further strengthens this ability. This is especially true for microservice applications, as their most pressing security concerns stem from their separation into multiple services. Researchers need data to work on these issues and enhance microservices’ architectural security. In this work, we present microSecEnD, a dataset of 17 manually created DFDs that are extensively annotated with information on implemented security features. We provide traceability for all model items. Further, a mapping to a list of 17 architectural security best-practices is provided. Finally, for each best-practice that an application violates, we present a model variant that does adhere to it.