Red Team
Red Team is a group of highly skilled security specialists whose task is to simulate real attacks on an organization's systems, networks, and processes to identify security vulnerabilities and evaluate the effectiveness of existing defensive mechanisms.
Red Team Definition
A red team is a group of specialists who, with the organization’s consent, simulate a realistic, multi-stage attack — the way a real adversary would carry it out. The goal is not a list of vulnerabilities but to check whether people, processes and technology actually detect and stop the intruder before they reach the agreed objective — which is why a red team also tests the vigilance of the defending team.
Red Team is a group of highly skilled security specialists whose task is to simulate real attacks on an organization’s systems, networks, and processes to identify security vulnerabilities and evaluate the effectiveness of existing defensive mechanisms. Red Team operates from the perspective of a potential attacker, using advanced techniques and tools to test the organization’s resilience to various types of threats.
According to NIST, red team exercises go beyond the goals of penetration testing: besides technical weaknesses, they examine whether the organization can defend itself effectively. A penetration test is often carried out mainly in lab-like conditions, while a red team exercise is meant to reflect real-world conditions and can combine technical attacks with social engineering — via email, phone, shoulder surfing or conversation. The results are used to assess how well controls work and to improve staff training.
Red Team Objectives
Main Red Team objectives include:
- Identification of weaknesses in the organization’s security systems
- Testing the effectiveness of existing defensive mechanisms
- Evaluating the organization’s ability to detect and respond to attacks
- Improving overall security posture through realistic attack simulations
- Increasing security awareness among employees and management
Key Elements of Red Team Operations
- Planning: Defining objectives, scope, and methodology of the operation
- Reconnaissance: Gathering information about the organization and its systems
- Scanning and Enumeration: Identifying potential targets and security vulnerabilities
- Exploitation: Using identified vulnerabilities to gain access
- Privilege Escalation: Increasing access level in systems
- Lateral Movement: Moving through the organization’s network
- Maintaining Access: Ensuring long-term access to systems
- Reporting: Documenting found vulnerabilities and recommendations
Methods Used by Red Team
- Social Engineering: Psychological manipulation to obtain information or access
- Phishing: Creating fake emails and websites
- Vulnerability Exploitation: Using known and unknown vulnerabilities
- Password Attacks: Breaking or bypassing authentication mechanisms
- Network Infrastructure Attacks: Testing network and device security
- Web Application Attacks: Testing web application security
A good red team exercise faithfully reproduces the behaviour of a specific adversary — known as adversary emulation. MITRE, the author of the ATT&CK knowledge base, publishes emulation plans that show how to model a chosen group’s activity from public threat reports and the ATT&CK catalogue, so that defenders can test their safeguards against a realistic scenario.
Red Team vs. Blue Team
- Red Team: Simulates attacks and attempts to breach defenses
- Blue Team: Responsible for defense and responding to Red Team attacks
- Collaboration of both teams enables comprehensive security assessment of the organization
Benefits of Red Team Implementation
- Realistic assessment of the organization’s security posture
- Identification of vulnerabilities that might remain undetected
- Improvement of attack detection and response capabilities
- Increased security awareness within the organization
- Testing and refining security procedures
Challenges Related to Red Team Operations
- High costs of hiring qualified specialists
- Risk of accidental system damage during tests
- Need for close coordination with other organizational departments
- Necessity to maintain confidentiality of found vulnerabilities
- Difficulties in simulating all possible attack scenarios
Best Practices in Red Teaming
- Clear definition of objectives and scope of operations
- Obtaining appropriate consents and authorizations before starting tests
- Following ethical and legal principles during operations
- Thorough documentation of all actions and findings
- Close collaboration with Blue Team and other organizational departments
- Regular updating of methods and tools used in tests
- Prioritization of found vulnerabilities and recommendations
NIST notes that red team exercises are most effective when run by teams that know current adversary tactics, techniques, procedures and tools, with the attack following agreed rules of engagement. In the financial sector, the reference point is the European TIBER-EU framework, developed by the European Central Bank and national central banks — according to the ECB, it can also help meet the DORA requirements for threat-led penetration testing (TLPT). Organizations that lack these skills in-house can commission a red team exercise from an external team acting under their authorization.
Red Team Use Cases
- Testing security of critical infrastructure
- Evaluating financial institution resilience to cyberattacks
- Checking security effectiveness in government organizations
- Testing security systems in large corporations
- Evaluating organization’s readiness against advanced attacks (APT)
Red Team plays a crucial role in an organization’s comprehensive security strategy, providing realistic assessment of its attack resilience and helping identify areas requiring improvement.
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Frequently asked questions
+ What is red teaming?
Red teaming is a controlled exercise in which a red team simulates an attempt to compromise an organization's processes and functions under near-real-world conditions. NIST describes it as extending the objectives of a penetration test: besides vulnerabilities, it checks whether the organization can detect an attack and defend itself effectively. The exercise can include technical and social engineering attacks, e.g. via email, phone or conversation.
+ What does a red team test involve?
The test starts by setting an objective, e.g. access to specific data, and rules of engagement that define what the attacking team may do. The red team then performs reconnaissance, gains access, escalates privileges and moves through the network, reproducing the behaviour of a specific adversary — often based on MITRE ATT&CK. The report shows not only gaps but also which defender actions worked.
+ How does a red team differ from a blue team?
A red team emulates the adversary and tries to reach the agreed objective, while a blue team defends the organization's systems: it detects the attack, responds and removes its effects. According to the NIST definition, the red team's purpose is to improve security by demonstrating the impact of successful attacks and what works for the defenders. Joint work of both teams on improving detection is called purple teaming.