What is Red team penetration testing?

Red team penetration testing is a full-scope, multi-layered attack simulation used by a firm to assess how its security system can combat real-life attack. Red team penetration testing investigates the entire security of an organization including technology systems such as routers, networks, switches, applications, and other devices. It also covers staff, business partners, contractors, and departments and physical properties such as data centres, warehouse, offices, substations, and other rooms or buildings.

When does your firm need red team penetration testing?

Red team penetration testing is applied when a company identifies a potential attack. It is an advanced security control that implements basic procedures such as penetration testing and assessment of vulnerabilities. These procedures offer the security personnel a defined cyber-security plan. Once the security personnel with the help of network penetration testing and social engineering have identified the vulnerabilities your business is ready red team implementations.

What makes red team penetration testing unique?

It is an advanced security measure marked with the following characteristics:

1. A broad category of tools – apart from a wide range of basic penetration testing equipment, read team employs techniques that help in finding the all critical vulnerabilities in your company. This detailed approach allows the team to act like a powerful hacker, rather than normal methods of replicating potential attacks.
2. Wider scope – other than its primary function as a multi-layered (technology, people, and physical) cyber-attack simulation, the red team also execute a thorough penetration testing on each layer.
3. More experts – each evaluation area needs specific equipment as well as committed experts who employ their skills to thoroughly assess each security system. For example, red team members specializing in checking network security may contain many specialists each one of them working on one of the following sections: port scanning, access point list (ACL) testing, network surveying, intrusion detection system (IDS) testing, denial of service (DoS) testing, legal evaluations on foreign or remote networks, and password cracking.
4. Secrecy – red team is dedicated to keeping the details of your company’s security system unless one of the purposes of the testing procedure is to evaluate the response of the client’s security group to hacks, red team ensure that the IT personnel and management are well briefed about the specifics of the operation. The red team tends to mimic the real-world attack so the pentesters try to hide. The individuals allowed to learn about the security testing are limited to top executives.

The characteristics of a good red team

1. Independence – red team penetration testing vendors work with no restriction from the client, techniques, and tools.
   Attacker imitation – a good red team should be able to mimic a real-world attacker.
2. Coordination – red team penetration testing not only find vulnerabilities in a firm’s security but also it helps in remedying the problem. It also helps in tuning the business’s security personnel into a continuous positive mode.
3. Continuity – red team penetration testing procedures last for months. This long testing performance ensures maximum security checking and it also allows the red team to teach the client’s security staff to remain alert every time to combat security attacks.