Red team assessments can provide a root-cause analysis of the risks in an organization. They probe deeper and more consistently than other security exercises, enabling continual testing instead of basic point-in-time measures. But setting up an adaptable red team is a challenge, even for well-resourced companies. This blog covers some of the pros and cons of red team engagements, as well as top use cases for red teaming.
By using a great red team, a company can simulate attacks from threat actors, patch up organization-wide root-cause issues, and stay one step ahead in the cybersecurity cat-and-mouse game.
Red team assessments turn theory into reality by actually testing an organization’s defenses to see where it is strong, weak, or exposed. The results of these assessments can inform a team’s roadmap and help prioritize root-cause issues and risks.
With effective iterative improvements or collaboration practices, red and blue (or purple) teams can level each other up, creating more advanced defenses and craftier attacks. Over time, this constant improvement in security posture reduces the risk of actual incidents.
Companies struggle to find the right red team for their security posture. A common solution is to work with red team consultancies. The main problem with red team consulting is that it often relies on static red teams; they may not have the right skills for your specific attack surface. Traditional consultancies often lack the depth and breadth of skills needed for each company.
Boutique firms can go deep in one area but can be expensive and slow. The consulting business model also means red team operators often work on projects back to back for years on end, leading to exhaustion or burnout. Lastly, external consulting teams can’t always help companies fix their security holes after they’ve been discovered.
Red team operations can be valuable in a variety of situations, from adhering to compliance mandates and securing new product launches to post-incident recovery. We’ll cover why red teaming can be helpful in each of these scenarios.
Red team operations provide a thorough exploration and understanding of your security. Red teams have an open scope, so they will try many more attack vectors than professionals using other security testing methods. After a red team test, a company can access much more information about the vulnerabilities in its attack surface and the gaps in its defenses. With this knowledge, the company can fill the gaps and improve its overall security posture.
For companies and products that handle critical data, there are often mandatory security requirements. For example, companies handling payment data have strict security testing requirements as part of PCIDSS compliance. The finance industry is governed by multiple frameworks such as CBEST, iCAST, CORIE, TIBER, and DORA. Red team assessments go above and beyond the usual pen testing that companies pursue as part of their compliance efforts.
Not only do red team assessments provide security coverage and reveal gaps, but they also go deeper and test less-common attack vectors and determine the associated risk and root causes related to attack paths. As a result, companies can build stronger defenses while maintaining compliance. Within critical industries, red team frameworks exist to ease the path to security.
Apart from helping companies patch up vulnerabilities, red team operations also help companies practice their post-incident recovery protocols. If a security team didn’t spot any of the red team’s attacks, this means the company in question needs to boost its detection practices.
If the security team detected attacks but couldn’t remove some of the red teamers from internal networks, then the team knows they’ll need to work on their incident response. If the security team couldn’t prevent a red team simulated ransomware attack, they will now better grasp the deficiencies in their backup and user alerting processes. The security team will essentially go through trials of incidents and recoveries, preparing them for real situations.
RTaaS is a new delivery model where companies can purchase access to a crowdsourced red team, assembled to have the right skills to target their organization. This model removes the barriers to red team operations. Our goal is to help every company improve its security posture by identifying core issues with the help of a skilled red team that can think like a threat actor.
Learn more about RTaaS in the Ultimate Guide to Red Teaming and talk to an expert to start your engagement today!