Red teaming & adversary simulation
Red teaming
A penetration test tells you what is vulnerable. A red team tells you whether anyone would notice. We pursue a real objective, quietly, using whichever route a real attacker would take.
Who it is for
- Organisations with a SOC, MDR service or in-house security team to put to the test
- Teams that already run regular penetration tests and want the next step
- Boards that want evidence of how a real breach would unfold
- Organisations that have invested in security tooling and want to know it works
What we cover
Reconnaissance
Open-source research on your people, technology and suppliers to find the most promising way in.
Initial access
Phishing, exposed services, social engineering or physical entry, depending on what you agree is in scope.
Lateral movement
Building a foothold and moving quietly towards the objective, avoiding your detection tools where we can.
Objectives
Reaching the systems or data that matter most to you, such as finance systems, customer data or domain admin.
Detection & response
Every action is logged with a timestamp, so your team can compare what we did with what they saw.
Purple team replay
Optionally, we replay key techniques alongside your defenders to tune detections and close the gaps.
How it works
Plan
We agree objectives, rules of engagement, systems that are off limits, and a small control group who know the test is happening.
Recon
We research your organisation as an attacker would and choose the routes most likely to succeed.
Attack
We work towards the objectives, keeping the control group updated and stopping immediately if they ask.
Report & replay
A full attack narrative and timeline, a debrief with your security team and recommendations that break the chain.
What you get
- Executive summary of the attack path and business impact
- Timestamped log of every action, to compare against your own alerts
- Technical findings with evidence and remediation for each weakness used
- Detection gap analysis: what was seen, what was missed and why
- Debrief workshop with your security team
- Optional purple team session to improve detections
Frequently asked questions
Can't find your answer? Ask in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
How is red teaming different from a penetration test?
A penetration test tries to find as many vulnerabilities as possible in a defined scope. A red team has a goal, such as reaching your finance system, and uses any agreed route to get there while trying to stay hidden. It tests your detection and response, not just your patching.
Who in our organisation should know about it?
As few people as possible, usually one or two senior contacts we call the control group. They can pause the test, confirm whether an alert is us, and make sure a real incident is never mistaken for the exercise.
How long does a red team engagement take?
Longer than a penetration test, because a real attacker takes their time. Most engagements run over several weeks. We agree the timeline and effort with you up front and give you a fixed quote.
Is it safe for our live systems?
Yes. We agree rules of engagement before starting, avoid destructive actions and denial of service, and stop immediately if the control group asks. Anything critical we find along the way is reported straight away.
Are we ready for a red team?
If you have never had a penetration test, start there: it is a cheaper way to fix the basics. Red teaming gives the most value once you have regular testing and some form of monitoring in place.
Get a fixed quote
A few quick questions so we can scope it properly. No obligation, no hard sell.
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