Does Your Business Need a Red Team Engagement?

In the world of cybersecurity, "penetration testing" and "red teaming" are often used interchangeably, but they represent two distinct levels of security assessment. Understanding the difference is crucial for organisations looking to mature their security posture. While both simulate attacks, their goals, scope, and methodologies are fundamentally different.

What is a Penetration Test?

A penetration test (or pen test) is a time-bound security assessment with a defined scope. The primary objective is to identify and exploit as many vulnerabilities as possible within that scope—be it a web application, a mobile app, or a specific network segment. The focus is on breadth: finding vulnerabilities, assessing their individual risk, and providing recommendations for patching them. It answers the question: "Can an attacker get in, and what vulnerabilities do we have?"

What is a Red Team Engagement?

A Red Team engagement is a more advanced, objective-based exercise. Instead of finding *all* vulnerabilities, the goal is to simulate a real-world, sophisticated adversary with a specific objective, such as "steal critical customer data" or "gain control of the Active Directory domain." The red team operates with stealth over a longer period, attempting to evade detection by the organization's security team (the "Blue Team"). This type of engagement tests the effectiveness of your people, processes, and technology in detecting and responding to a live, persistent threat. It answers the question: "Can we detect and respond to a determined attacker before they achieve their goal?"

A pen test checks if your doors have locks. A red team exercise checks if you'll notice someone quietly picking a lock and walking through your building.

When Should You Choose a Red Team Engagement?

A red team engagement is ideal for organisations that have a mature security program. If you already perform regular penetration tests, have a dedicated security team (Blue Team), and have deployed security tools like a SIEM and EDR, a red team exercise is the next logical step. It provides the ultimate test of your security investments and gives your defensive team invaluable real-world training.

For smaller organizations or those just beginning their security journey, a penetration test is often the more appropriate starting point to identify and fix the most critical, foundational vulnerabilities first.