Red Team
(Adversary Simulation)
Assess the impact of a real-world attack on your organization
What is a red team?
A red team engagement is designed to simulate a likely real-world threat, demonstrating if it is possible for an attacker to gain access to your organization, evaluate the effectiveness of your defences and assess the damage that could potentially be done once inside, typically without being detected.
Testing is goal-based, and objectives are typically linked to your business-critical assets, such as intellectual property or sensitive data, and would therefore be highly impactful to your organization if a malicious threat were to gain access to them. Red teaming looks beyond the security of an individual application or specific network infrastructure and takes a deeper approach than other types of testing, not just uncovering vulnerabilities, but showing how these could be exploited and chained together to achieve the set goal.
We work with organizations of all sizes, whether you require a company-wide assessment or a more focused assumed compromise approach. Whatever your needs, our red team service can be tailored to suit your goals and budget, providing you with the robust information security assurances you require.
Our red teaming can help:
Ensure critical assets are protected
What are your organization’s critical assets? Production systems? Financial information? We can provide you with the assurances that these are as protected as possible.
Put your security defences to the test
Implementing security measures and technology can be expensive, but can they truly detect a breach? We'll work with you (purple team approach) to put your defences to the test.
Assess the business impact of a breach
Red teaming will help you fully understand the business impact of a breach and can help support your requests for security improvement funds.
Support your security improvement efforts
Following our engagement, we will work closely with your internal and external teams to improve your security posture, as well as your response to a breach.
Could an attacker really gain access to your organization?
The following case study shows, step by step, how our consultants were able to go from a web app vulnerability to domain level access during a red team engagement.
Our red team testing
Red team engagements are tailored to your needs and will look provide maximum benefit to your organization in the allocated time. One way we can tailor our red engagements is through our approach:
Black Box Approach
This approach mimics a real-life attack scenario, where we have basic knowledge of the organization but have no prior access. A black box approach typically begins with a reconnaissance phase (such as open-source intelligence (OSINT) gathering) and is often used by clients who wish to find out how a malicious threat could gain access to their organization from the outside.
Assumed Compromise Approach
This approach assumes that an attacker has managed to gain a level of access within an organization’s network and is typically used by clients who wish to understand what an attacker could achieve from this position. The assumed compromise approach avoids the need for any lengthy reconnaissance phase and in many circumstances, can offer the better value testing for clients.
Common threats we simulate
We will work with you to understand the most likely real-world threats to your organization and simulate these faithfully. These often include:
Ransomware
Ransomware attacks can have a huge impact on your business, not only can they damage the day-to-day operations, but they could also lead to reputational damage, as well as potential financial loss.
Phishing
Phishing is a common entry point for attackers. They will often attempt to deceive staff and users into clicking on malicious links, hand over sensitive information or perform actions that may compromise your security.
Supply chain compromise
Attackers don’t have to specifically target your organization to gain access to your sensitive material or negatively affect your operations. An unsecure supply chain could offer them a backdoor in.
Remote service exploits
Staff use a myriad of applications & cloud services to access their work environments and company information. These services can provide a direct route into an organization.
Malicious insiders
Attacks don’t just come from outside threats; insiders often have access to sensitive information and if motivated, for whatever reason, could pose a threat to your information security.
Physical breaches
Information security doesn't just happen online, your physical premises can be a potential target for malicious attackers looking to access sensitive areas and information.
The routes we use during a red team
Our consultants will look to gather information from multiple sources, utiliZe various techniques and attempt numerous routes to achieve their set goal. The routes we use will be dependent on the scope set, but can include a combination of:
Technology
Your digital estate is often bigger than you think. Every connected device, website, application & server provides a potential way in for an attacker. Our consultants will look to understand your estate, probing and testing to exploit potential opportunities.
People
Staff can be your strongest line of defence, but they can also be a weak link. Our consultants can use a variety of methods, such as social engineering and open-source intelligence (OSINT) gathering, to obtain credentials, gain a foothold on your network and manoeuvre towards their goal.
Physical security
Our team are experienced in conducting physical red team operations and, if instructed, can look to manipulate their way into premises. Once inside they will attempt to gain access to sensitive areas or confidential information unchallenged.
Processes & controls
Once inside your organizational network, our security consultants will look to expose and exploit any poor security practices and controls. This will allow them to further their attack and work towards their overall goal.
Not sure what type of testing you need?
Our team will be happy to discuss your individual requirements and provide a no obligation proposal based on your needs.
Our approach
The security confidence we provide doesn’t come from a one size fits all solution.
Our red team process will be unique to your organization, security posture, digital estate and the goals set. Broadly speaking, each assessment will go through the following stages:
1. Client Focused Scoping
We work closely with you to fully understand the environment under investigation and your exact requirements before putting forward a bespoke test proposal.
2. Expert Manual Testing
Our manual testing is designed to challenge your security. That's why we only hire the very best information security consultants & all consultants are directly employed by us.
3. Tailored Reporting
Reporting isn't just a piece of paper, it's a ongoing process. We tailor our reporting to you, whether you need in-test notifications, ticket integration or a bespoke test report.
4. Post-Test Support
Our job doesn't finish on the delivery of a report. We make our consultants available after your test to provide clarification on findings & pass on their wealth of expertise.
5. Fix Check & Documentation
A fix check can be employed to ensure issues found have been successfully remediated & additional documentation can be supplied for assurance purposes
6. Ongoing Partnership
We see ourselves as trusted advisors and welcome clients contacting us outside of testing, providing honest advice on security issues wherever we can.
Like the sound of our approach?
You can find out more about our test process and why it sets us apart.
Contact us
Want to find out more about our red team engagements? Our team are on hand to provide you with the information you need. Please fill out the form below and one of our team will be in touch shortly.
