Red Team Operations & Engagements

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Red Team Operations & Engagements

Red team operations and engagements are a type of security assessment that organizations use to test their defenses. A red team is a group of security professionals who act as attackers to find weaknesses in an organization’s systems and processes. A red team engagement aims to identify vulnerabilities before a real attacker can exploit them. 

Red teaming can also help organizations understand their detection and response capabilities and assess the effectiveness of their incident response plans. Turn to us for help understanding red team operations and engagements in detail. We can explain what they are, why they are important, and how they can benefit your organization.

 

Red Team Overview 

A Red Team is a group of individuals who simulate an adversary’s actions to test an organization’s security posture. A Red Team engagement is an exercise in which a company’s security personnel are tested by having to defend against a realistic, simulated attack.

A Red Team engagement aims to identify gaps and weaknesses in an organization’s security posture and to provide recommendations for improvement. This type of exercise can be used to test everything from individual response times and capabilities to overall security processes and procedures.

 

Red Team vs. Blue Team

A Red Team engagement differs from a Blue Team exercise in that the focus is on testing the organization’s defenses rather than simply detecting and responding to an attack. In a Blue Team exercise, the objective is typically to find and fix as many vulnerabilities as possible before the attacker does.

In contrast, the goal of a Red Team engagement is not necessarily to find and fix any of the organization’s vulnerabilities but rather to push the limits of its defenses to identify all potential weak points. This exercise provides valuable information about how well an organization can withstand a real attack and can help point out areas where additional training or resources may become necessary.

 

Who Needs Red Team Operations? 

In general, Red Team Operations are most beneficial for established companies that have already had a pen test and need an overview of their network from a different perspective. In some cases, Red Team Operations can also be used for smaller companies or startups that may not have the resources for a full-scale engagement.

 

How is Red Teaming More Advanced Than Pen Testing? 

Red teaming is a more comprehensive and holistic approach to security testing than traditional penetration testing. While penetration testing can find holes in your security, a red team engagement will actually attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities to gain access to data or plant devices and software. This type of assessment can also be combined with a penetration test for an even more complete picture of your organization’s security posture.

 

Process – What Do They Do? 

Red team operations are engagements in which a company’s security team works to simulate the activities of an external attacker. The goal is to identify vulnerabilities in the company’s systems and response procedures. Red team engagements can last for days or weeks and often involve multiple teams working in concert.

The first step in any red team engagement is establishing engagement rules. Rules can include defining what systems and data will be off-limits, as well as setting up communication channels between the security team and the rest of the company. Once the rules are established, the security team can begin their work.

The next step is to deploy tools and techniques that will allow them to gain access to the company’s systems. The team may include social engineering attacks, password cracking, and other exploitation methods. Once they have gained access, they will attempt to escalate their privileges and move laterally through the system.

The security team will collect data about the company’s systems and procedures throughout the engagement. The data they collect will be used to identify weaknesses and recommend changes. The engagement may also involve tests of the company’s incident response procedures.

Once the engagement is complete, the security team will review their results and prepare a report for management. The report will detail their findings and make recommendations for improving the company’s security posture.

 

Red Team Phases 

There are four primary phases to red team operations and engagements: getting into the network, staying inside the network, impacting the network without being noticed whenever possible, and exfiltrating data from the network.

  1. Getting into the network: The first phase of a red team engagement is to get into the target network. This can be done through a variety of methods, including social engineering, physical access, and exploitation of vulnerabilities.
  2. Staying inside the network: Once inside the target network, the red team’s goal is to stay there for as long as possible without being detected. This usually involves moving laterally through the network, privilege escalation, and pivoting to other systems.
  3. Impacting the network without being noticed: The third phase of a red team engagement is to impact the target network in some way without being detected. This might involve planting malware on critical systems, modifying data, or denial-of-service attacks.
  4. Exfiltrating data from the network: The fourth and final phase of a red team engagement is to exfiltrate data from the target network back to the attacker. This can be done through a variety of means, including covert channels and encrypted communication protocols.

 

Call US Cybersecurity Inc to Find Out More or Set Up a Test

If you’re looking for more information on Red Team operations and engagements or want to set up a test, give US Cybersecurity Inc a call. Our team of experts will be happy to answer any questions you have and help you get started.