Red teaming goes a step beyond a pentest. It simulates a real attacker across technology, people, and physical access, to test not just systems but the defense around them.
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Raptoric Offensive Security
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Red teaming is the most advanced form of offensive testing. A standard penetration test checks how resilient specific systems are. Red teaming simulates a real attacker with a defined goal and uses every available path to reach it: technology, people, and physical access. The aim is not only to find vulnerabilities, but to test the entire defense, including whether your security team notices the attack at all. This post explains what red teaming is and when it makes sense.
This is part of our offensive security overview. We deliver red teaming through offensive security.
Red teaming and the penetration test
The difference is in goal and scope. A penetration test has a clearly defined target and tries to find as many vulnerabilities in it as possible. Red teaming has a business goal, such as reaching specific data, and the freedom to achieve it by any path. A pentest asks how secure this system is. Red teaming asks whether an attacker can reach their objective, and whether you will notice.
Trait
Penetration test
Red teaming
Goal
Find vulnerabilities in the target.
Reach a defined objective like an attacker.
Scope
A clearly defined target.
Broad: technology, people, physical access.
Defense knows
Usually yes.
Usually no, so detection is tested.
Maturity
Suitable for most.
For mature organizations.
Red teaming compared with a penetration test.
What red teaming covers
A red team uses the same techniques as real attackers, chaining several paths into one scenario.2
Technical attacks against systems, networks, and applications.
Attempts at physical access to premises, where agreed in advance.
Moving through the network after the initial breach toward the defined goal.
Checking whether the defense notices the attack and how it reacts.
When red teaming makes sense
Red teaming is not the first step. For an organization that has not yet run basic tests and closed obvious gaps, it will produce a list of problems that could have been found far more cheaply. It makes sense when security is already mature: when controls and a monitoring team are in place, and you want to check whether those controls hold against a determined attacker and whether the defense detects them. At that point red teaming gives insight no single test can.
How Raptoric helps
We run red teaming with a clear goal and rules of engagement, and we assess whether you are ready for it or would benefit more from a pentest first, through offensive security. Book a scoping call.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between red teaming and a pentest?+
A penetration test has a clear target and looks for as many vulnerabilities in it as possible. Red teaming has a business goal and the freedom to reach it by any path, using technology, people, and physical access, and it also tests whether the defense notices the attack.
What does red teaming cover?+
Technical attacks, social engineering, attempts at physical access, and movement through the network toward a defined goal. It also checks whether the defense detects the attack and how it reacts.
Does every company need red teaming?+
No. Red teaming makes sense for organizations with mature security. Those that have not run basic tests benefit more from a cheaper penetration test and vulnerability assessment.
Does the defense know about red teaming in advance?+
Usually not. That is precisely what tests the team's ability to detect an attack and respond to it. The rules and boundaries are still agreed in advance with management or a limited group of people.
Sources
1NIST. SP 800-115: Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2008. Link
2MITRE. MITRE ATT&CK. MITRE Corporation, 2024. Link
Want this tested on your own systems?
Our team will scope it with you on a 30-minute call.
