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A litmus test for your Security posture
Red Teams act as adversaries with one or more specific objectives in mind. Usually, they are tasked with finding a way to compromise and bypass an organisation’s security with a view to gaining access, or ‘capturing’, a target system or particularly sensitive data. The findings of a Red Team exercise are extremely useful, providing food for thought and a basis to review existing security policies, validation of what is working well, impetus to shift emphasis if necessary, and identification of areas that need further improvement.
Whereas Penetration Testing is concerned with finding as many gaps in an organisations defences as possible and documenting how these might be exploited to gain unauthorised access and conduct malicious activity, a Red Team engagement simulates a real world and real time attack. Depending on the scope of the exercise, Red Teams can bring more attack vectors to the table, such as crafting targeted malware, utilising social engineering techniques, and scoping and compromising physical security measures that may be in place. Unlike a PT, which is often conducted on a staging system and with stricter time controls and prior notification, a Red Team exercise is fluid and designed to run under the radar, therefore offering a great insight into the overall effectiveness of the current security posture, spanning people, processes, and technology.
Email remains the vector of choice for many cybercriminals, with the vast majority of successful attacks starting with phishing emails, designed to elicit a response from users through the opening of a malicious attachment or clicking of a web link. This has added fuel to oft cited argument that humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity. To help educate employees, many organisations conduct security awareness training or have ongoing programs aimed at raising awareness. Though automated security training software is beneficial, a more effective route is the use of a dedicated phishing simulation service. Phishing is sometimes used as part of a Red Team engagement, and our experts employ the same deep expertise and experience to create and deploy advanced phishing attacks. Metrics are collected and analysed continuously during the duration of the exercise, with comprehensive reporting detailing the results.
Whereas Penetration Testing is concerned with finding as many gaps in an organisations defences as possible and documenting how these might be exploited to gain unauthorised access and conduct malicious activity, a Red Team engagement simulates a real world and real time attack. Depending on the scope of the exercise, Red Teams can bring more attack vectors to the table, such as crafting targeted malware, utilising social engineering techniques, and scoping and compromising physical security measures that may be in place. Unlike a PT, which is often conducted on a staging system and with stricter time controls and prior notification, a Red Team exercise is fluid and designed to run under the radar, therefore offering a great insight into the overall effectiveness of the current security posture, spanning people, processes, and technology.Email remains the vector of choice for many cybercriminals, with the vast majority of successful attacks starting with phishing emails, designed to elicit a response from users through the opening of a malicious attachment or clicking of a web link. This has added fuel to oft cited argument that humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity. To help educate employees, many organisations conduct security awareness training or have ongoing programs aimed at raising awareness. Though automated security training software is beneficial, a more effective route is the use of a dedicated phishing simulation service. Phishing is sometimes used as part of a Red Team engagement, and our experts employ the same deep expertise and experience to create and deploy advanced phishing attacks. Metrics are collected and analysed continuously during the duration of the exercise, with comprehensive reporting detailing the results.Red teaming can be conducted periodically or on an as-needed basis to ensure that an organisation’s security measures remain effective and up-to-date. The specific steps involved in Red Teaming operations may vary, depending on the scope and objectives of the particular effort, but can include the following high-level areas:
In the initial phase of the project, the scope and objectives of the exercise are discussed and developed. Identifying the right team members who will carry out the tasks and defining their various roles and responsibilities is crucial. At the Read more
Following a detailed look at the target organisation, an analysis of potential adversaries is carried out. In a Red Team or Phishing Simulation exercise, understanding the motives and methods that real life threat actors employ is imperative to the overall Read more
There are a whole host of Red Team activities – from exploiting a vulnerability (to gain access and steal information), through to compromising systems via deployment of malware, or using social engineering techniques to gather valid credentials. The scenarios relevant Read more
Focus then switches to the actual running of the simulations. These activities normally take place for a predefined duration, as agreed between the parties during project scoping. Team members immerse themselves in the various tasks, taking care to record and Read more
The results of the exercise are analysed and then presented in an easily digestible report that neatly summarises the findings and details the activities undertaken. Key information is highlighted, with categorisation where relevant of priority items. The report identifies potential Read more
In the initial phase of the project, the scope and objectives of the exercise are discussed and developed. Identifying the right team members who will carry out the tasks and defining their various roles and responsibilities is crucial. At the very beginning, there is a clear focus on gathering information relevant to the project and ensuring that requisite resources are available and in place. Reconnaissance is the preliminary activity in any VAPT engagement and also forms an integral part of a Red Team exercise.
Following a detailed look at the target organisation, an analysis of potential adversaries is carried out. In a Red Team or Phishing Simulation exercise, understanding the motives and methods that real life threat actors employ is imperative to the overall success of the engagement. Activities should closely mirror the types of ‘in the wild’ tactics, techniques, and procedures that organisations face, in order to make the overall project as meaningful as possible. This helps to ensure that both the results and learning from the project are impactful.
There are a whole host of Red Team activities – from exploiting a vulnerability (to gain access and steal information), through to compromising systems via deployment of malware, or using social engineering techniques to gather valid credentials. The scenarios relevant to the objectives of the project are meticulously planned at this stage. The groundwork for these is carried out, with adjustments and fine tuning made as necessary. For example, setting up the infrastructure required for the activities, crafting malware or creating a targeted phishing email.
Focus then switches to the actual running of the simulations. These activities normally take place for a predefined duration, as agreed between the parties during project scoping. Team members immerse themselves in the various tasks, taking care to record and capture important information that will be analysed later. Execution is designed to mimic real world threat actors, though always within the parameters and boundaries set by the parties. Special consideration is given to evading prevailing defensive measures and noting their performance and efficacy.
The results of the exercise are analysed and then presented in an easily digestible report that neatly summarises the findings and details the activities undertaken. Key information is highlighted, with categorisation where relevant of priority items. The report identifies potential areas of improvement along with a list of recommendations and best practices. Incorporating the lessons learned from Red Teaming into ongoing security planning and operations is a great way for organisations to improve their overall preparedness and resilience to cyber-attacks.
Our fully certified experts are highly technical, with years of extensive experience, having worked on a breadth of projects. Certifications held by the team include OSCP, CPSA, CEH and CRTP.
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Circumvensys is a managed security services company on a mission to offer simple and effective solutions. No nonsense Cyber Security. For everyone.
