Two crucial areas of cybersecurity are pen testing and red teaming. The right security partner can perform both for you and guide you through building a strong, resilient organization that’s aware of and resistant to today’s threats.
The wrong partner, on the other hand, can leave you confused, vulnerable, and out of pocket. And in an era where security has never been more of a pressing concern, businesses need to be discerning about who they choose to work with.
In this article, we’ll talk about why pen testing and red teaming are so important and walk you through finding the right partner to perform them for your business.
What Is Pen Testing vs. Red Teaming?
Pen testing, short for penetration testing, involves a security team closely examining all your organization’s defenses and potential vulnerabilities. In the process of pen testing, your team will look at your security infrastructure from the perspective of an attacker, attempting to discover as many weak points as possible.
Afterwards, the team will share a report of its findings, including an in-depth analysis of your vulnerabilities and guidance on how to improve.
Red teaming is similar to pen testing in that it involves a security team attempting to exploit your organization’s weaknesses to help you improve security. However, there are differences.
Red-teaming assessments will typically set a goal of breaching your defenses in some way, then employ numerous cybercriminal techniques to achieve that objective any way they can. This means red teaming tends to result in less comprehensive and detailed findings than pen testing, but it does reflect a real-life attack more accurately.
Red Teaming engagements generally span a longer period of time and often focus on how the organization being tested reacts to the simulated breach attempts.
Why Are Pen Testing & Red Teaming Important?
Pen testing and red teaming both approach cybersecurity by trying to mimic the behavior and strategies of real-world attackers. For this reason, they can provide more illuminating and actionable results compared to other analysis methods like automated scanning.
In fact, research shows that 92% of companies see significant value in red teaming, and this number is on the rise.
Finding the Right Partner for Pen Testing & Red Teaming
Companies today are fortunate to have a ton of great options when it comes to pen-testing and red-teaming partners. Of course, every partner is different. You’ll need to look around and find a partner that works well for your specific needs, which can take some time.
Consider the following guidelines as you sift through potential partners to perform pen testing and red teaming for your business.
Assess Their Skills
Each pen-testing and red-teaming partner will have a different set of skills. While there will be broad similarities, partners often specialize in certain areas, so you should focus on those whose key skills align with your specific goals and pain points.
Specific skills here include network security, application security, and knowledge of key programming languages.
Assess Their Reputation
In the online world, news gets around fast. This means that for every red-teaming or pen-testing partner you consider, it’s easier than ever to dig deeper into their reputation and seek out opinions from others.
The best approach here is to talk directly with previous clients and customers of your prospective partners. Ideally, you want to gather experiences from similar organizations with similar problems who ultimately achieved good results.
For broader information, you can also look at review sites and social media mentions.
Do a Sample Report or Test Project
One way to get to know a potential security partner with minimal risk is to agree to a test project or sample report.
In this case, your red-teaming or pen-testing partner will conduct a miniature assessment, perhaps focused on just one part of your organization, and then create a small report. This allows you to get a small taste of how this partner operates, their skills, and what they’re capable of. If it turns out well, you can hire them for a full project.
Assess Their Soft Skills
A test project can be valuable because it allows you to evaluate not just your partner’s hard, or technical, skills but also their soft ones: communication, organization, and reliability.
Soft skills can be just as important as any certification or qualification. Remember: You’re trusting your chosen partner with the security of your organization — there’s a huge amount at stake. You want to partner with someone you can rely on and who will communicate clearly, frequently, and transparently with your team.
Work With DYOPATH
At DYOPATH, our expert team can guide you through the processes of pen testing and red teaming, helping identify and resolve any vulnerabilities and build a stronger, more robust organization at a time when security has never been more crucial.
Contact us to find out more and get started.
