Summary
As cyber threats continue to evolve faster than security budgets can keep up, organizations need to validate their defenses and determine the effectiveness of existing controls. Traditional red team and blue team exercises provide incomplete perspectives in isolation. Red teams can penetrate defenses but lack insight into detection capabilities. Blue teams defend against simulated attacks but gain limited exposure to new attack techniques. This is why more organizations are adopting purple teaming to bring together offense and defense.
Purple team engagements involve collaboration between red team adversaries (our team) and blue team defenders (your team, supported by an embedded OccamSec expert). The red team executes real-world attacks while the blue team detects and responds to these threats in real-time. This provides mutually beneficial insights not attainable through individual red or blue exercises. The integrated adversarial simulation strengthens cyber defenses and preparedness to detect, react, and recover when inevitable attacks occur. The embedded OccamSec blue team members acts as the co-ordinator, providing continues feedback and oversight to maximize the impact of the purple team.
Our purple team services enable organizations to simulate real-world attacks in a controlled environment. Our team works with you to design a customized exercise that meets your specific needs. To maximize outcomes, purple team activities must be carefully scoped and executed. Our team assists clients in developing purple team programs tailored to their industry, assets, and risk profile.
By integrating both offensive and defensive perspectives, purple teaming provides unique benefits compared to isolated red or blue exercises. It enables defenders to experience attacks in real-time from the adversary’s viewpoint. They gain insight into which vulnerabilities are most prone to exploitation and how attackers can evade security controls. Red teamers receive immediate feedback on which of their tactics are detected or blocked and what gaps need refinement.
Case Study: Purple Team to Secure ICS in Meat Production
Outcomes
- Determine the blast radius: In over 90% of our assessments we find a critical vulnerability in an environment. Purple teaming will enable you to determine how bad the impact of that could be, how to fix it, and if you could detect it.
- Measure your security investment: Determine if your security investment is meeting your expectations. Be confident in stating that your security investment is working.
- Improve detection and response: If you have no visibility we increase it substantially, if you have some we not only increase it by at least 50% but we also make sure the input your getting is 100% accurate.
- Improve collaboration: Your red and blue team shouldn’t be enemies. Purple teaming helps them exchange insights, tactics, and knowledge, leading to improved communication and coordination during actual incidents.
- Uncover hidden risks: Most organizations we work with do not have full visibility of their environment and the risks it faces. On multiple occasions we have uncovered unprotected areas that ultimately would lead to a major compromise.
- Realistic Testing Environment: Purple Teaming creates a controlled environment where both offensive (Red Team) and defensive (Blue Team) tactics can be tested in a real-world scenario. This simulates actual attack scenarios, enabling teams to evaluate their responses and strategies.
- Regulatory Compliance: For organizations that need to adhere to industry regulations and compliance standards, Purple Teaming provides evidence of proactive security testing and due diligence.
Process
Purple teaming is a comprehensive and collaborative approach to cybersecurity that involves working closely with clients to understand their unique business needs and challenges. Our team of experienced security professionals work together with the client to simulate real-world attacks using a variety of methods, taking into account the client’s knowledge of their own systems and what has worked or not worked in the past. This collaborative effort ensures that the testing is tailored to the specific needs and environment of the client.
To structure the testing and ensure thoroughness, we utilize the Mitre ATT&CK framework, a widely-used and respected methodology for identifying and categorizing cyber threats. Systems are deployed that replicate a range of areas from the framework, providing a comprehensive measure and basis for reporting on the project. This allows us to identify areas of concern, test expected control responses, and develop a testing schedule that is customized to the client’s needs.
Once the testing is executed, our team analyzes the results and provides detailed recommendations based on their findings. These recommendations may include remediation steps, process improvements, or additional security measures to help protect against future attacks. Throughout the entire process, we maintain open communication with the client, ensuring that they are informed and involved every step of the way.
Contact us to discuss how purple teaming can help your organization.
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