Red team exercises are one of the best ways for CISOs to effectively validate security controls. By simulating an actual attack, Red Team exercises help organizations identify their vulnerabilities and determine how well their security controls are resisting a malicious actor.
Today 82% of companies organize Red Team exercises as part of their overall security program, and among these, 71% believe Red Team drills have improved their security posture.
So, what do you think of the red team? How do their exercises help CISOs effectively validate security controls? Looking for more Red Team information? If so, keep reading.
In this blog, we will discuss:
- Differences between Red Teaming and Penetration Testing
- How the Red Team Works
- How Red Teaming Validates Blue Team’s Work
- Red Team Perks
- A better choice between in-house red team and outsourced red team
Differences between Red Teaming and Penetration Testing
Let’s first see the differences between Red Team and Penetration Testing.
Penetration tests are designed to identify vulnerabilities in an information system that could be exploited by an unauthorized user. It tries to simulate the actions of a malicious attacker who tries to access system resources.
On the other hand, Red Teaming is designed to help organizations identify their vulnerabilities and determine how resilient their security controls are to a malicious actor. Red teams are often made up of experienced professionals who have a deep understanding of how to exploit vulnerabilities and bypass security controls.
Therefore, Red Teaming focuses more on identifying organizational vulnerabilities while Penetration Testing focuses more on identifying vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an unauthorized user.
How does the red team work?
Now that we have a basic understanding of the differences between red teams and penetration testing, let’s take a closer look at how red teams work.
Red team drills typically occur in three phases:
Planning phase – During this phase, the red team develops a plan of attack and determines how they will attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in the organization.
Execution phase – In this phase, the red team executes the plan and attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in the organization.
Assessment phase – In this phase, the red team evaluates their success and provides feedback to the organization.
How Red Teaming Validates Blue Team’s Work
One of the main objectives of the red team is to validate the work of the blue team. The blue team is responsible for defending the organization against attack, so it’s important to make sure their efforts are effective.
Let’s understand how Red Teaming validates the work of Blue Team with an example.
Suppose the Blue Team has implemented a security control designed to prevent attackers from accessing sensitive data. The red team can test this security control by attempting to access the data without using approved methods. If they pass, the security check is not effective and needs to be improved.
Therefore, Red Teaming helps identify vulnerabilities that are being exploited by attackers, as well as security controls that are not effective. This information can be used to improve the organization’s security posture.
Red Team Perks:
Now that we understand how Red Team exercises help CISOs effectively validate security controls, let’s look at the benefits of Red Teaming.
Identify vulnerabilities – The main benefit of Red Teaming is that it helps organizations identify their vulnerabilities. By understanding how attackers can exploit their vulnerabilities, organizations can take steps to address these weaknesses and improve their security posture.
For example, an organization discovers that its systems are vulnerable to a specific type of attack. They can then take steps to protect their systems against this attack.
Test security controls – Red team drills help test the effectiveness of security controls. If a security control is not effective, the organization can take steps to improve it.
For example, if a security control is unable to prevent an attacker from accessing sensitive data, then the organization can improve the security control or find a different solution.
Improve security awareness – Red team exercises also help to improve security awareness within an organization. By exposing employees to real attack scenarios, employees are more likely to be aware of the risks and take steps to protect themselves. For example, an organization conducts a Red Team exercise in which employees are tricked into downloading a malicious file. Employees who participate in the exercise will be more likely to avoid downloading files from untrusted sources in the future.
Increase the efficiency of Blue Team – Red Teaming also helps increase the efficiency of the Blue Team. By identifying the vulnerabilities exploited by attackers, the Blue Team can focus its efforts on protecting the organization against these attacks.
Better preparation for attacks – Finally, Red Team exercises can help organizations better prepare for attacks. By understanding how an attacker would attempt to exploit their vulnerabilities, organizations can be better prepared to defend against these attacks.
A better choice between the internal red team and the outsourced red team:
There are several factors to consider when deciding between in-house and outsourced red team.
Cost – The first factor is cost. In-house red teams are typically more expensive than outsourced red teams because they require dedicated resources (e.g., employees, tools, etc.). While outsourced red teams are usually less expensive as they leverage the resources of the service provider.
Weather – The second factor is time. Internal Red Teams require more time to set up and manage than outsourced Red Teams. Outsourced Red Teams are ready to go immediately and require no additional setup time.
Skills – The third factor is skills. Internal red teams need employees who have the skills to perform a red team exercise. Outsourced red teams typically have employees skilled in penetration testing and red teams.
Live – The fourth factor is experience. Internal red teams generally have more experience than outsourced red teams. This is because outsourced red teams are usually made up of employees from multiple organizations.
Organizational requirements – The fifth factor relates to organizational requirements. Internal red teams are generally best suited for organizations that have the necessary resources (eg, employees, tools, etc.). Outsourced red teams are generally better suited to organizations that lack the necessary resources.
Organizational risk appetite– Internal red teams are best suited for organizations that are willing to take more risks. While outsourced red teams are more suitable for organizations that want to mitigate their risk.
Therefore, the right choice is to outsource Red Team if the company lacks resources and wants to mitigate its risks. However, if the company is willing to take more risks, the right choice is the internal red team.
Conclusion
red team is an important process for organizations that want to improve their security posture. By identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities, red teams help organizations better understand their security risks and take steps to mitigate them.
There are several factors to consider when deciding between in-house and outsourced red teams, such as cost, time, skills, experience, and organizational requirements. Ultimately, the right choice for an organization depends on its specific needs and risk appetite.
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How do red team exercises help the CISO effectively validate security controls? appeared first on WeSecureApp :: Simplifying Enterprise Security!.
*** This is a syndicated Security Bloggers Network blog from WeSecureApp :: Simplifying Enterprise Security! written by Geetha R. Read the original post at: https://wesecureapp.com/blog/how-do-red-team-exercises-help-ciso-to-validate-the-security-controls-effectively/
