Organisations have a continuing problem in a world where technology is everywhere, changing our lives and interactions; updating their defences against bad actors who exploit the ever-evolving tech ecosystem. To fully realise the potential of the digital age, cybersecurity must be integrated into every aspect of modern life. Cybersecurity, rather than being a separate notion, serves as the cornerstone of our modern systems, encompassing people, processes and technology.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic and increased cyberattacks, cybersecurity has become a top priority for business and State leaders. Whilst awareness of cyber dangers is increasing, connecting cybersecurity goals with corporate strategy and incorporating cyber leaders into core processes remains difficult. Improving cyber resilience necessitates teamwork and a shared commitment.
We’ve witnessed several worrisome incidents in the last year that show the serious threats posed by malevolent cyber activity. These threats go beyond institutions, affecting individuals, groups, and organisations worldwide. The World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Cybersecurity Outlook report focuses light on increasing cyber threats, offering leaders with insights to strengthen security and global resilience against threat actors.
So, what’s the issue with Red Teaming? As our reliance on technology grows and digital innovation increases, risks and challenges multiply, demanding our attention. To stay safe, everyone must take a proactive approach and understand their digital footprint.
In response to this urgency, Red Teaming arose as a strategy for intelligence-driven security evaluation. It entails ethical hackers (penetration testers) simulating genuine cyberattacks using the same strategies as threat actors. This method produces realistic scenarios that put people, processes, and technology to the test. Unlike brief examinations, Red Teaming sessions may last weeks or even months, allowing for a thorough evaluation of environments and identification of cyber kill chains.
Red teaming investigates vulnerabilities in a variety of fields, including:
People: Employees, partners, and anyone else associated with the organization.
Physical spaces: offices, factories, data centres and so on.
Technology and information security: networks, applications, devices, appliances, data privacy and phishing.
Consider this: Red teaming is akin to saying, “The best way to protect is to outwit.” Red Teaming helps businesses get ahead of the game and protect their interests by simulating real-world cyber assault scenarios by testing their systems against social engineering, physical breaches, and network infiltration.
Dealing with breaches is expensive, with the average breach costing $3.6 million. Worse, firms are waiting an average of 280 days to detect and contain breaches, and this timescale is rising. Consider an occurrence that occurred on January 1 that is still producing problems on October 8 of the same year.
The Emotet malware showed the effort to detect network risks as soon as possible. Even when authorities destroyed Emotet’s infrastructure in January 2021, it returned in November 2021 via existing botnets. This indicates that threats like Emotet are likely to return. Furthermore, as hackers improve their techniques, complex multistage ransomware attacks are on the rise.
This conflict between attackers and defenders is never-ending, with flaws appearing in commonly used software. This dynamic scene highlights the importance of remaining watchful and strengthening cybersecurity safeguards. Considerations include:
1. No System Is Bulletproof: Critical infrastructure is a prominent target for numerous threat actors seeking power, retribution, terror, or financial gain.
2. Stay Updated: keep your systems and software up to date to combat new and developing threats.
3. Educate Your Staff: Teach your employees to be cautious and aware of any cyber risks.
4. Stability and security must be balanced: Strike a balance between system stability, realistic scenarios and proactive security measures.
5. Expert Advice: When pursuing Red Teaming, select a skilled team capable of simulating attacks while delivering actionable insights.
Some examples from One Compliance’s Red Teaming practices include:
Example 1: The Campus Breach Simulation: One Compliance’s Red Team posed as students and IT personnel at a university, gaining unauthorised access to buildings, computers, and networks. They even imitated access points, breaking into a secure data facility by lock-picking the door. This underlined the vulnerability of physical environments and human connections.
Example 2: The Laptop Lockdown Bypass: One Compliance effectively evaded laptop security systems owing to outdated upgrades in a corporate setting. They roamed the network covertly, gaining access to privileged accounts and sensitive data. This demonstrated the need of effective patch management, regular updates, and strong endpoint protection.
Example 3: The Reception Ruse: One Compliance’s Red Team targeted human vulnerabilities in a law company. They obtained access to the company floor by tailgating behind construction workers. This resulted in them gaining entry to the main office, seizing confidential material on laptops, and duplicating identification cards. This emphasized the significance of training staff about physical security and social engineering.
In today’s fast-changing digital world, the technique of Red Teaming assists enterprises in confronting cyber dangers both technical and physical front on. By submitting customers to simulated attacks, our team gains insights that enable enterprises to strengthen their defences and safeguard against real-world intrusions.
