What is red team, blue team pen testing?
Understanding the difference between red team and blue team can be the linchpin in determining the strength of an organisation’s digital defences. The red team blue team cybersecurity dynamic offers contrasting approaches that, when combined, ensure the most comprehensive protection possible.
What is red team, blue team pen testing?
A red team/blue team Cyber Security test is a simulated attack which helps to determine the resilience of an organisations security protections.
- Red team and blue team professionals are opponents who face-off in a simulated attack scenario.
- The role of the red team is to breach security defences
- On the other side, the blue team act as as incidence response and network-insert link protectors
Certified by CREST and Offensive Security, our qualified testers employ real-world hacking techniques to uncover profound insights.
The Evolution of Red and Blue Teams
Pentest red team blue team practices aren’t just modern-day phenomena. The very essence of red team blue team dynamics hails from military war games where the red team simulated enemy actions, and the blue team responded. The adaptation of this strategy in cybersecurity epitomises the constant battle between hackers and defenders. Now, there’s also a fusion known as the purple team penetration testing—a blend of both red and blue strategies for a holistic security approach.
What is red teaming penetration testing?
The Blue team Red team meaning in cybersecurity revolves around offence and defence. The red team’s purpose in hacking red team blue team scenarios is to emulate potential attackers’ techniques. They’re the storm that tests the fortifications. Their in-depth examination of security controls, processes, and even the physical barriers ensures that nothing is left to chance.
- Red team Cyber Security consultants have specific objectives set out by the business in question, they use a range of rigorous methods to take a deep dive into the effectiveness of security controls, processes and the physical security of offices.
- These red team security experts help businesses to understand the level of cyber-risk they truly face. Red team pen testing is most often used by businesses who have complex and sophisticated security architectures, (but this is not always the case).
- The idea is that they employ red team services after patching vulnerabilities, hardening security controls and updating systems.
- They then want to answer the question, is there still a ‘way-in’ to their network for someone who is determined to breach defences? Whilst red team pentesting was first used in the military in the 1980’s, many security conscious enterprises have also adopted the testing approach in recent years.
In a blue team assessment, a tester may:
- Assess and tighten employee access controls
- Segment the network to prevent threats laterally spreading
- Check firewall configurations
- Research DNS requests
- Update security controls and applications
What is blue teaming penetration testing?
On the flip side, the blue team and red team cyber security dynamic sees the blue team as the guardians of the digital realm. They’re not just a digital wall; they’re the sentries, ever watchful and ready. Their role in blue and red team security isn’t merely about defence.
It’s about resilience, rapid response, and recovery. From assessing employee access to refining firewall configurations, their mission is to evolve continually, adapting to new threats while fortifying against known ones.
The blue team breakdown
- Essentially, the blue team are on the frontline of the battle field, their job is to do all they can to maintain their security position, and prevent the security walls from being breached.
- The security blue team provide expert guidance on where a business should focus protection efforts to reduce the risk of a successful attack. The internal IT team can then adopt these recommendations to harden their systems against sophisticated hacks.
- However, the blue team’s role is not simply reserved to stopping threats from entering the network, they must also be able to quickly detect hidden threats, and prevent them from laterally moving across the network and causing further damage.
After the Assessment
The blue team keep communication at the forefront of their assessments, so you are not left in the dark:
- The security blue team testers collate the information and carry out a thorough risk assessment of the findings. Blue team pen testers can then put a plan of action in place to help strengthen security processes, refine policies and harden security systems.
- They may also make further recommendations such as offering cyber awareness training, implementing stronger password policies and introducing monitoring tools which help IT teams respond quicker to cyber-attacks.
- Blue-teams offer bespoke and highly skilled services which help businesses improve operational efficiency, time-to-detection and have confidence in their approach to Cyber security.
Our Penetration Testing Process
Before testing commences, our experts will take time to understand your pen testing requirement in more detail, define the testing scope and gather the necessary technical information and access required to carry out the test.
Using a variety of pen testing tools our qualified penetration testers will manually assess your systems to identify security weaknesses/vulnerabilities which require patching and remediation.
In this phase we will interpret the results, and (if permitted and approved) exploit any vulnerabilities discovered. This will determine whether a hacker could use the vulnerability as leverage to gain wider access to your systems. However, many customers prefer to patch and remediate, rather than risking the potential service disruption that exploitation could cause.
Our experts will analyse the results and present the finding in a comprehensive penetration testing report. This will detail and categorise the vulnerabilities discovered ranked as either ‘Critical, High, Medium, or Low’, as well as outline instructions of how to remediate, patch and strengthen your defences.
After remediation, we can retest your systems to check that all patches have been applied and security holes have been mitigated.
CREST certified penetration testers UK
Here at Equilibrium, we are OSCP certified pen testers and CREST-certified penetration testers. The OSCP and CREST certification is a proven Cyber Security framework which demonstrates that we have up to date knowledge of the latest network pentest methodology, vulnerabilities and techniques used by real attackers.
In order to achieve the CREST certification you must undertake a series of thorough examinations which are assessed and approved by GCHQ and NCSC.
CREST is the not-for-profit industry body representing the technical information security industry. CREST provides internationally recognised accreditation for cyber security service providers and professional certification for individuals providing penetration testing, cyber incident response, threat intelligence services and now Secure Operations Centre services.
Why the Red and Blue Distinction Matters
Understanding the difference between blue team and red team in cyber security is vital for businesses looking to fortify their digital realms. Each team offers a unique perspective. While one seeks to exploit, the other strives to protect. Together, they provide a 360-degree view of an organisation’s cybersecurity posture.
Incorporating IT Security Red Team Blue Team Strategies
Integrating IT security red team blue team tactics is more than just a cybersecurity move. It’s a proactive business decision. In an era where cyber threats continually evolve, relying on a single defensive strategy isn’t just risky—it’s akin to digital complacency.
By employing both red and blue teams, businesses get an attacker’s viewpoint (red team) and a defender’s insight (blue team), ensuring a robust, well-rounded security posture.
Purple Team Cyber Security: The Bridge Between Red and Blue
In the red, blue and purple team in cyber security, the purple team stands as a testament to the symbiotic relationship between the red and blue teams. The purple team penetration testing is a collaborative approach, combining the aggressive tactics of the red team with the defensive strategies of the blue team. This collaboration ensures that an organisation’s cybersecurity strategy is both comprehensive and dynamic.
Are you interested in running a red team, blue team penetration testing exercise?
Looking for penetration testing pricing? Red team and blue team pen testing puts your security defences to the ultimate test. These thorough and rigorous testing services help you to assess your security posture from both an internal and external perspective. Are you looking for CREST certified red team, blue team services?
Our penetration testing price packages are straightforward, easy to follow and can be flexible to meet your budget and scope.
If you would like to find out more about our red teaming, blue teaming testing costs, please register your details below or call us on 0121 663 0055.
- Our experts are CREST and OSCP certified penetration testers
- The OSCP ethical hacking certification follows an intense and hands on examination process which requires deep knowledge of advanced hacking techniques
- Our team of penetration testers are highly qualified and have many years of ethical hacking experience within large corporate organisations
- Well-versed on penetration testing methodologies and industry best practice
- Proven track record of safeguarding businesses of all industries and sizes