Detecting and defending against attacks is a core responsibility of any security team. While SIEM capabilities form an essential part of this defensive toolkit, modern cyber threats demand more than reactive measures.
Collaborative exercises between red and blue teams - commonly known as purple teaming - provide an effective way to strengthen defensive capabilities while sharing knowledge and improving response strategies.
Red team exercises often include penetration testing, but the two are not one and the same. A penetration test aims to uncover as many vulnerabilities as possible, whereas a red team engagement simulates real-world attacks to breach systems and exploit weaknesses without being detected. These exercises may incorporate attack methods outside the scope of a standard penetration test, such as social engineering, giving the defensive team a more realistic picture of potential threats.
Purple teaming brings red and blue teams together in a structured, collaborative engagement. The red team tests and challenges the blue team’s detection and response capabilities using current tactics, techniques, and procedures drawn from real-world adversaries. Continuous feedback allows the blue team to strengthen SIEM detection, improve automated and manual response, and refine overall security posture.
These exercises can range from short, targeted engagements to longer simulations of advanced persistent threats (APTs). The key is collaboration: red and blue teams work together to enhance detection and response without unnecessarily increasing costs. By sharing insights and strategies, organisations can optimise their security investments and improve efficiency in threat detection, hunting, and incident response.
Beyond immediate improvements, purple teaming encourages a culture of communication and knowledge sharing, breaking down silos between teams. This collaborative approach enhances proactive threat detection, strengthens automation, and informs forward-looking security strategies that are more adaptable to emerging risks.
Purple team activities don’t just improve technical capabilities, they also foster a security-conscious culture where teams work together toward a common goal. Knowledge flows more freely, gaps are identified and closed faster, and response processes become more effective and efficient.
With expertise in executing these exercises, AC3 helps organisations integrate purple teaming into their security programmes, creating a more collaborative, resilient, and forward-focused approach to cyber defence.