A red-team engagement is an advanced form of cybersecurity assessment where a team of ethical hackers, known as the red team, simulates a full-scale cyberattack on an organisation.
Unlike standard penetration testing or vulnerability assessments , red-team engagements are more comprehensive activities and can often involve not just technical assessments, but also physical security and social engineering. The objective is to assess how well an organisation can detect, respond to, and mitigate a sophisticated multi-faceted attack.
Why are Red-Team Engagements Important?
Red-team engagements provide the most realistic view of an organisation’s security posture from an active attack scenario. They help identify weaknesses across all layers of security, including people, processes, and technology.
By understanding how an advanced attacker might operate, organisations can improve their detection and response capabilities, ensuring they are prepared for real-world threats.
How is a Red-Team Engagement Different from Penetration Testing?
While penetration testing focuses on finding and exploiting specific technical vulnerabilities in a controlled environment, red-team engagements simulate a broader and more complex attack scenario. This includes testing physical security, attempting social engineering attacks, and the attempt to bypass detection systems.
Red-team engagements often involve a longer timeframe and are designed to challenge the entire organisation’s security ecosystem.
Who Conducts Red-Team Engagements?
Red-team engagements are conducted by highly skilled security professionals with experience in offensive security. These experts, known as the “red team”, often work alongside a “blue team” within the organisation, which is responsible for defending the organisation.
The red team’s job is to simulate realistic attacks, while the blue team focuses on detection and response, creating a more holistic security assessment.
What Are the Benefits of Red-Team Engagements?
- Realistic Threat Simulation: Red-team engagements mimic the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by real attackers, providing a true-to-life test of your defences.
- Improved Detection and Response: By challenging your security team, red-team engagements help improve their ability to detect and respond to attacks quickly and effectively.
- Holistic Security Assessment: These engagements assess not just technical vulnerabilities but also the effectiveness of physical security and employee awareness.
- Strengthened Security Posture: By identifying and addressing weaknesses, organisations can enhance their overall security and resilience against cyberattacks.
How Often Should Red-Team Engagements Be Conducted?
The frequency of red-team engagements depends on the size and nature of your organisation, the criticality of your assets, and of course, your overall security goals.
For high-risk industries or those with valuable assets, red-team engagements might be conducted annually or even more frequently. It’s also advisable to perform them after significant changes to your infrastructure or following a security incident.
What Happens After a Red-Team Engagement?
After a red-team engagement, the findings are documented in a detailed report that outlines the attack paths used, the vulnerabilities exploited, and the areas where detection and response were effective or need improvement. This report provides actionable recommendations to enhance your organisation’s security posture.
Additionally, many engagements will end with an personal debrief by the red team, providing insights into the attack strategies used and discussing how the blue team responded.
It is crucial to review and implement these recommendations to improve your defences against real-world attacks.
Is a Red-Team Engagement Right for My Organisation?
Red-team engagements are particularly beneficial for organisations with mature security practices that want to test their defences against advanced threats. If you have already conducted regular penetration tests and vulnerability assessments, a red-team engagement can be the next step in strengthening your security.
