Red Teaming

Red teaming is a cybersecurity methodology where a team of ethical hackers (the 'red team') simulates real-world attacks on an organization's systems, networks, and personnel to identify vulnerabilities and test defensive capabilities. It involves comprehensive, multi-vector attacks that mimic advanced persistent threats (APTs) and other sophisticated adversaries, going beyond traditional penetration testing by including social engineering, physical security breaches, and long-term persistence. The goal is to provide a holistic assessment of an organization's security posture and resilience against determined attackers.

Also known as: Red Team Operations, Adversary Simulation, Offensive Security Testing, APT Simulation, Red Teaming Exercises

Why learn Red Teaming?

Developers should learn red teaming to understand offensive security techniques, which helps in building more secure applications and systems by anticipating attacker behaviors. It is particularly valuable for roles in security engineering, DevSecOps, or any position involving critical infrastructure, as it enables proactive identification of weaknesses before malicious actors exploit them. Red teaming is essential for organizations in high-risk sectors like finance, healthcare, or government, where robust security is paramount.

Learning Resources

• docs: MITRE ATT&CK Framework
• course: SANS SEC564: Red Team Operations and Adversary Emulation
• book: Red Team Field Manual (RTFM)
• tutorial: TryHackMe Red Team Path
• docs: OWASP Red Teaming Guide