redteams

Red teams are security assessments in which a group, either internal to an organization or external consultants, acts as adversaries to test an organization’s defenses. Operating under explicit authorization and rules of engagement, red teams simulate realistic attack scenarios to evaluate people, processes, and technology rather than focusing solely on known vulnerabilities. The goal is to measure detection, response, and resilience across technical controls, security operations, and business processes.

Red team exercises aim to mirror real-world threat actor behavior, using sanctioned techniques to gauge how well an organization detects and responds to incidents. Activities typically cover a range of domains, including network and application security, physical security, and social engineering, while emphasizing adversary goals and potential impact. Because blue teams (defenders) observe and react to these simulations, red teaming is often conducted in coordination with blue or purple teams to improve overall security posture.

The practice follows a lifecycle that includes planning and scoping, rules of engagement, reconnaissance, initial access, lateral movement or escalation, and post-exercise impact simulations. Outcomes are documented in an after-action report that highlights gaps, risk implications, and prioritized remediation steps. Red teaming complements traditional penetration testing by focusing on attacker behavior and organizational detection and response capabilities rather than solely on finding technical flaws.

Ethical and legal considerations are central to red teaming, ensuring activities remain within approved boundaries and comply with privacy, data protection, and regulatory requirements. The technique provides strategic insight into an organization’s resilience and informs ongoing security improvements.