Terminology of the red team - ties2/Red-Team GitHub Wiki

The term "red team" has become increasingly common in recent years, particularly in the context of cybersecurity and military operations. It refers to a group of individuals who are tasked with simulating a potential adversary or attacker, with the goal of identifying weaknesses in a system or strategy. As such, the terminology used by red teams is important to understand, as it can provide insight into the mindset and methods of those who may seek to do harm.

One important term used by red teams is "adversary emulation." This refers to the process of modeling the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that a real-world adversary might use. By doing so, red teams can gain a better understanding of how an attacker might approach a given target and can develop more effective countermeasures.

Another term used by red teams is "penetration testing." This involves attempting to gain unauthorized access to a system or network in order to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker. Penetration testing can involve a variety of techniques, including social engineering, phishing, and exploitation of software vulnerabilities.

"Threat intelligence" is another term commonly used by red teams. This refers to the process of gathering and analyzing information about potential threats, including the motivations and TTPs of potential attackers. Threat intelligence can be used to inform both defensive and offensive strategies.

Red teams also use the term "zero-day exploit" to refer to vulnerabilities in software or hardware that are unknown to the vendor or developer. These vulnerabilities can be extremely valuable to attackers, as they provide a way to gain unauthorized access without detection.

Finally, red teams may use the term "attack surface" to refer to the potential entry points that an attacker could use to gain access to a system or network. By identifying and reducing the attack surface, organizations can make it more difficult for attackers to succeed in their objectives.

In conclusion, the terminology used by red teams provides insight into the methods and mindset of those who seek to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in systems and strategies. Understanding these terms can help organizations develop more effective defensive and offensive strategies to protect against potential threats

some useful resources related to red teaming:

  • Red Team Journal - a blog dedicated to the study of red teaming, strategy, and tactics.

  • MITRE ATT&CK Framework - a widely used knowledge base of adversary TTPs that can be used to simulate attacks.

  • Open Source Red Team Tools - a list of free and open-source tools that can be used for red teaming.

  • NIST Special Publication 800-53 - a comprehensive security and privacy control framework that can be used to assess an organization's security posture.

  • Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) - a government agency that provides guidance and resources related to cybersecurity.

  • Red Team Alliance - an international organization that promotes the use of red teaming in security and intelligence.

  • Offensive Security - a company that offers training and certification in ethical hacking and penetration testing.

  • These resources can be a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about red teaming and developing their skills in this field.