Red Team Fundamentals — Why Penetration Testing Alone May Not Be Suitable For Your Company
Ethical Hacking, Pentesting (Penetration Testing), red team, yara yara… what’s what? Who’s who? Well, believe it or not, these terms are not as synonymous as you might think. Red team engagements have become an essential component of modern cybersecurity strategies, offering organizations a more comprehensive and realistic assessment of their security posture than traditional penetration testing. Not to say that penetration testing isn’t useful (it certainly is), but it just depends on what your goals are in the short-term and long-term. In this blog post, we’ll explore the fundamentals of red teaming and how it differs from other cybersecurity practices. Let’s hop in.
Understanding Red Team Engagements
Red team engagements are advanced simulations of real-world cyber attacks designed to test an organization’s detection and response capabilities. Unlike vulnerability assessments or penetration tests, red team exercises take a holistic approach, often combining technical exploits with social engineering and physical security testing. The primary goal of a red team engagement is to emulate the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) of actual threat actors. This approach provides valuable insights into an organization’s security posture and helps identify weaknesses that might be overlooked in more limited assessments.
Vulnerability Scanning (https://tryhackme.com/r/room/redteamfundamentals)
Key Components and Stakeholders
A typical red team engagement involves several key components and stakeholders:
Red Team: The offensive security professionals who simulate the attack.
Blue Team: The organization’s internal security team is responsible for defending against the simulated attack.
White Team: Neutral observers who oversee the engagement and ensure it stays within agreed-upon parameters.
Management: Key decision-makers who define the objectives and scope of the engagement.
Red Teaming vs. Other Cybersecurity Engagements
While red teaming shares some similarities with vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, there are crucial differences:
Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Tests: Limitations
Focus on identifying and exploiting technical vulnerabilities
Often have a narrow scope and predefined targets
May not accurately reflect real-world attack scenarios
Typically do not test an organization’s detection and response capabilities
Pentesting Limitations (https://tryhackme.com/r/room/redteamfundamentals)
Red Team Engagements: A Comprehensive Approach
Simulate full attack scenarios, including social engineering and physical security testing
Have a broader scope, often allowing testers to choose their targets and methods
Provide a more realistic assessment of an organization’s security posture
Test both preventive and detective security controls
Evaluate the effectiveness of an organization’s incident response procedures
Teams and Functions of an Engagement
In a red team engagement, different teams play specific roles:
Red Cell: The offensive team that simulates the attack
Blue Cell: The defensive team that protects the organization
White Cell: The neutral party that oversees the engagement
Each team has distinct responsibilities and works together to create a realistic and valuable exercise. Make sure everyone knows their role!
Engagement Structure
A typical red team engagement follows a structured approach:
Planning and Preparation
Reconnaissance and Intelligence Gathering
Initial Access and Foothold
Lateral Movement and Privilege Escalation
Persistence and Exfiltration
Reporting and Debriefing
This structure allows for a comprehensive assessment of an organization’s security at every stage of a potential attack. There are also other standardized cyber kill chains, such as:
Choosing Between Penetration Testing and Red Teaming: Factors to Consider and Cost Implications
When deciding between penetration testing and red teaming, companies should consider several factors:
Security Maturity:
Penetration testing is often more suitable for organizations with less mature security programs or those just starting to assess their security posture.
Red teaming is better for organizations with more advanced security measures in place and who want to test their overall defense capabilities.
Objectives:
If the goal is to identify specific vulnerabilities in systems or applications, penetration testing is more appropriate.
For testing overall security posture, incident response, and detection capabilities, red teaming is preferable.
Scope and Duration:
Penetration tests are typically more focused and shorter in duration (days to weeks).
Red team engagements are broader in scope and can last several weeks to months.
Budget:
Penetration testing is generally less expensive due to its narrower scope and shorter duration.
Red teaming requires more resources and time, making it more costly.
Regulatory Requirements:
Some industries or compliance standards may specifically require penetration testing.
Risk Tolerance:
Red teaming involves more risk as it simulates real-world attacks, which may be too disruptive for some organizations.
Regarding pricing:
Penetration Testing:
Costs can range from $4,000 to $100,000+, depending on the scope and complexity.
Web application tests might cost $10,000 to $30,000.
Network penetration tests could range from $15,000 to $45,000.
Red Teaming:
Typically more expensive, ranging from $20,000 to $200,000+.
Costs can vary greatly based on the engagement’s duration, complexity, and objectives.
These prices are approximate and can vary significantly based on factors such as the size of the organization, the complexity of systems, and the specific requirements of the engagement. It’s best to get quotes from reputable security firms for accurate pricing tailored to your organization’s needs.
Overview of a Red Team Engagement
A red team engagement typically begins with defining clear objectives and scope. The red team then conducts extensive reconnaissance, identifies potential vulnerabilities, and attempts to gain initial access to the target environment. Once inside, they simulate an attacker’s actions, attempting to move laterally, escalate privileges, and achieve their objectives without detection.
Throughout the engagement, the blue team works to detect and respond to the simulated attacks. The white team monitors the exercise, ensuring it remains within agreed-upon boundaries and documenting key findings.
After the engagement, all parties come together for a thorough debrief and analysis of the results. This collaborative approach helps organizations identify weaknesses in their security posture and develop more effective defensive strategies.
In conclusion, red team engagements offer a unique and valuable perspective on an organization’s security posture over a longer duration and in real time. By simulating real-world attacks, they provide insights that go far beyond traditional penetration testing, helping organizations build more robust and effective cybersecurity defenses. Thanks for reading!
