Security Guide
When is red team testing useful?
Red team testing simulates real, targeted attacks on organizations – across technology, processes, and people. This guide helps you decide whether red teaming makes sense for your organization right now.
Quick decision
Very likely a good fit
Mature security, SOC/MDR in place, focus on detection & response.
Conditionally useful
Solid technical baseline, but little experience with realistic attack simulations.
Not useful yet
Basic security hygiene is missing, no detection or response processes.
What red team testing is – and is not
- realistic attack simulation
- goal-oriented (crown jewels)
- multi-stage & covert
- technical, organizational & human
- focused on detection & response
- classic penetration testing
- vulnerability scanning
- a compliance checklist
- foundational security review
- a replacement for incident response
From red team engagements (experience)
In real red team engagements, the same patterns appear again and again:
Initial access often succeeds faster than expected (phishing, OAuth abuse, exposed services)
- Detection kicks in late or not at all – despite existing EDR/SIEM
Privilege escalation usually happens through misconfigurations, not exploits
- Alerts trigger, but are not cleanly escalated
Business impact is often organizational (decision paths), not technical
In many cases, the attack is only detected after sensitive targets have already been reached.
When is red team testing useful?
- mature security organization
- SOC / MDR active in operations
- regular pentests established
- Management question: “Would we notice?”
- critical business processes (“crown jewels”)
Red teaming does not test whether vulnerabilities exist, but it does test whether attacks are detected and stopped.
Signals from the field that red teaming makes sense
Pentests produce few new insights
Security controls feel “too quiet”
Detection is based on assumptions
Incident playbooks are untested
The SOC reacts only to known patterns
Management wants realistic scenarios
In these situations, red team testing often delivers the first honest answers.
What red team testing actually evaluates
- initial compromise (e.g., phishing, exposed services)
- lateral movement
- privilege escalation
- persistence
- bypassing detection
- SOC & IR responsiveness
- escalation and decision paths
The focus is on end-to-end scenarios, not individual findings.
Methodological framework (expertise)
Red team tests typically align with:
- MITRE ATT&CK (TTP-based attack chains)
- purple team approaches (feedback between red & blue teams)
- realistic threat actor profiles (e.g., APT-like scenarios)
🆚 Red team vs. penetration test (distinction)
| Aspect | Penetration test | Red team |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Find vulnerabilities | Test detection & response |
| Visibility | Open | Covert |
| Focus | Technology | Technology, process, people |
| Outcome | Findings | Scenarios & impact |
Preparation (critical for success)
- clearly defined objectives (“crown jewels”)
- aligned rules of engagement
- executive sponsorship
- emergency stop criteria
- blue team kept unaware (realistic)
Without this preparation, red teaming loses much of its value.
Important note (trust)
Red team testing requires clear legal, organizational, and technical boundaries. Without aligned rules of engagement, stop criteria, and management approval, red teaming can cause more harm than benefit.
When red teaming provides no value
- Results are not evaluated
- SOC / incident response are not involved
- Management expects only a “certificate”
- Findings are politically deflected
Decision guidance
- security foundations are in place
- detection & response active
- regular pentests established
- focus on resilience
- no MFA
- no logging / monitoring
- no incident processes
- no resources for evaluation
Conclusion
Red team testing is not an entry point to security.
It is a maturity test.
If you want to know whether your organization detects real attacks, responds correctly, and can limit damage,
red teaming is the right tool – at the right time.
This guide was created by security engineers with experience in red team, purple team, and incident response engagements. It does not replace an individual forensic analysis or legal advice.
Your request will be reviewed by experienced red team engineers – not by sales.
You will receive an honest assessment of whether red teaming makes sense right now.
Request an assessment