In cybersecurity risk assessments, such as penetration tests, different parties are given different colour names depending on their roles. Generally speaking, the attackers are the red team and the defence is the blue team.
A purple team involves aspects of the red and the blue teams combined. This could include bridging a gap between offensive and defensive teams for better engagement, collaboration and feedback which, in turn, will improve the target organisation’s security posture.
The purple team is necessary for offering a comprehensive and coordinated cybersecurity approach which takes into account both the offensive and defensive strategies. It brings together red and blue teams in a collaborative approach to test and improve an organisation’s cybersecurity.
Usually, red and blue teams operate completely independently with the blue team – usually an internal team from the organisation – caught off guard by the red attack.
The goal of the purple team is to improve the overall security of the posture by identifying weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the defence and then developing and executing plans to address these. It can make the security testing process more efficient and effective, introducing opportunities for collaboration throughout and using feedback to guide defence.
Purple teaming uses the knowledge and tools of both red and blue teams. This allows the purple team to identify weaknesses across the network, security system and internal processes and procedures.
Using the information learned by the purple team, an organisation can make actionable plans that will improve their security posture in the long run.
Red teams are the attacker team. They are responsible for carrying out the attacks on an organisation’s system, simulating what a real-world attacker would do.
The blue team is responsible for defending against the attacks of the red team and working to secure the system.
A purple team uses the knowledge and skills of both the red and blue teams.
Purple teaming enables security teams to improve how effectively they detect vulnerabilities and threats and monitor their network. They accurately simulate common threat scenarios and allow for the invention and implementation of new techniques designed to prevent and detect new types of threats.
At its core, purple team security testing requires communication and collaboration between red (offensive) and blue (defensive) teams. At Rosca Technologies, we do this process over 4 key steps:
We carry out an in-person workshop to map out your organisation’s entire system to understand your company and start planning targeted attacks on your key assets.
Based on the information gathered, we can create custom test cases tailored specifically to your organisations and built around the key concerns and threats. We then carry out these tests, working collaboratively with your security teams and recording the outcome of each test case.
We profile the types of threat groups that target organisations like yours to identify potential attacker strategies and detect weaknesses.
We produce a comprehensive report and carry out a thorough debrief to discuss the findings and evaluate the company’s detection and prevention capabilities.
The purple team holds a great deal of importance. In typical security assessments, red and blue teams are kept completely separate so that the blue hint has no clues about the impending attacks that could affect their defence response. However, a purple team exercise can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the testing process.
Through increased collaboration and communication, purple testing brings the two teams together to identify areas which need further investigation and not waste time on less relevant areas.
There are various benefits to bringing in a purple team for your cybersecurity testing:
Purple testing is suitable for multiple different sectors and organisations of every size.
Purple teaming strengthens overall cybersecurity faster by working together to identify vulnerabilities and improve defences more quickly
Purple teaming can help security professionals gain better insight into how attackers plan and operate and how the defence responds.
With purple teaming, there is a constant feedback loop between attack and defence that wouldn’t otherwise be achieved
Bringing the red teams and blue teams together allows them to develop innovative solutions and expand their way of thinking. This exposure to different perspectives can lead to an overall increased understanding of cybersecurity for all professionals involved.
Throughout a typical 4-6 week assessment period with Rosca Technologies we will:
Purple team testing uses a range of tools and techniques to identify defence weaknesses and improve overall security posture. The exercises are always interactive, collaborative and transparent.
All purple team activities are designed to improve the organisation’s procedures, systems and controls that are meant to protect the company from cybersecurity threats.
Here are some examples of purple team exercises that might be carried out:
The exact purple team activities will depend on the organisation but will reflect both the responsibilities of the red team and those of the blue team – bringing them both to do the experience together and learn from each other.
Banks and financial institutions require robust security posture assessment to safeguard financial transactions, protect customer accounts, and secure online banking platforms from sophisticated attacks.
Medical organisations need comprehensive evaluations to secure patient data and ensure GDPR compliance.
Production facilities benefit from assessments to protect intellectual property and operational technology
Government agencies need thorough security evaluations to safeguard sensitive information and critical infrastructure
A comprehensive security posture assessment typically takes 2-4 weeks, depending on the size and complexity of your organisation’s IT environment.
ROSCA recommends conducting a full security posture assessment annually, with targeted reassessments following significant changes to your IT infrastructure.
Contact us today and we can work together to create a detailed plan based on your organisation’s cybersecurity needs.
ROSCA’s assessment methodology is designed to minimise disruption to your business operations, with most testing activities conducted outside of business hours when necessary.
For more information, explore our collection of expert guides or contact us today.
You will receive a comprehensive report detailing findings, risk ratings, remediation recommendations, and a strategic security improvement roadmap.
Every business should prioritsie a cybersecurity budget to protect themselves online.
Contact us for a personalised quote – once we have determined the scale of the required services we will be able to put together your cybersecurity plan.
To find out more about our security posture assessment services and why they might be the right solution for your organisation, complete the form and we will call you back.
ROSCA Technologies is a trading name of Tudor Lodge Digital, a registered limited company in the UK under company 10437769
Address: 5 Fleet Place, London, EC4M 7RD
Opening Hours: 9AM-6PM Mon-Fri
Phone: 020 8088 0665
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