A red team is a group of people who are given the task of attacking your business and looking for vulnerabilities. This type of penetration test is done by experts, not amateurs.
What’s the difference between this and a blue team? The best way to think about it is that there are two sides: one tries to break in, while the other tries to stop them from doing so.
A red team will help identify potential security weaknesses on your network, or SaaS applications and provide you with information on how they could be exploited. You can then take steps to fix these issues before an attacker actually does so! This may sometimes mean adding new SaaS features and improving the existing ones.
What should I expect during a Red Team Penetration Test?
There may be some phishing emails sent to employees or even physical attempts made to get inside the facility. One of your employees may be approached at a local coffee shop and asked for information about your company, so it’s important to train them on what to do if that happens. The Red Team should also document how they carried out their attack as well as which vulnerabilities were discovered during each step along the way.
Reasons to Conduct a Red Team Penetration Test
- Discover vulnerabilities that are currently unknown to the organization
- Compare attack techniques against current defenses and identify new defences
- Identify privilege escalation opportunities within your systems
- Vulnerability Assessments for compliance requirements of PCI, FISMA/NIST SP 800, etc.
What will I receive after my Penetration Test?
A detailed report with recommendations on things such as:
- What can you do better in order to prevent this from happening again?
- How many days was it before someone noticed an issue or breach took place?
- Which systems could have been compromised? Was there access gained where none should exist (such as administrative privileges)? Did these credentials allow access to sensitive data?
- How did they gain access in the first place and what was their path into your business systems?
- Did someone make a mistake (such as clicking on an email link) that put them at risk or directly compromised your network security?
How to Get Started With a Red Team Penetration Test
Following are the basic steps you can follow while conducting red team pentesting:
Step 1: Set up the team – Look for experts who have experience in penetration testing and similar roles. They will be able to ask critical questions about your target environment, how you plan on running the test and what tools they will need to use.
Step 2: Identify the scope of work – The red team should know exactly which network segments it has permission to operate within. This also includes knowing where any data is stored that may contain sensitive information such as customer records or payment card details (PCI).
Step 3: Decide security controls – It’s important not only to consider technical controls but also to manage administrative ones like access control lists (ACLs) and firewalls including monitoring systems, intrusion detection and prevention systems, security information and event management systems (SIEMs), etc.
Step 4: Provide a report – The red team will have to provide you with a comprehensive penetration test report for your review before the actual assessment begins. This documentation should include detailed notes on what vulnerabilities were discovered along with any recommended fixes or workarounds that can be used until they are resolved.
What are some things I should look out for after hiring a red team penetration testing firm?
One thing you want to look for is a good rapport with the firm you hire. You want to feel comfortable working with them and being open about any concerns or fears that you have, as well as receive honest opinions from people who are very knowledgeable in their field.
Summing Up…
Red Team is a crucial aspect of cybersecurity and it’s not always as simple as we think. The best way to protect your company from attack is by employing the services of an expert team that can provide you with actionable intelligence on how to avoid threats like phishing, spear-phishing, malware, ransomware and other cyber vulnerabilities.