As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations are adjusting their approaches to cyber security. Consequently, security-minded businesses are investing in red teaming, instead of moat-and-castle approaches, to proactively address security gaps.
While red teaming is effective, it does require red teamers to have advanced knowledge and a creative approach to testing. The only limitations of a red teaming exercise are your ethical hackers’ imaginations—and the rules of engagement (RoE).
Whether you need to teach non-technical users about the basics of red teaming or want to show your red team more creative ways of working, learning about real-world red teaming examples is helpful.
In this guide, we’ll share five creative red teaming examples that will not only inspire your team, but also motivate stakeholders to invest in proactive cyber security.
Red teaming is a structured process used to challenge and test an organization's strategies, systems, or defenses by adopting an adversarial perspective. It involves simulating real-world threats, such as cyberattacks, physical breaches, or competitive maneuvers, to identify vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and blind spots.
The goal is to improve resilience, decision-making, and preparedness by providing actionable insights and recommendations.
Hugging Face, an online community of AI enthusiasts, researchers and developers, reported on how more businesses should invest in red teaming for AI. Many large language models (LLMs) are trained with nefarious or biased information that creates negative user experiences. Not only that, but some prompts can even lead LLMs to share sensitive information.
Hugging Face shares upsetting examples of the LLM generating biased answers denigrating people of color, women, and Muslims. This report shows just how valuable AI red teaming is, especially as more organizations invest in AI-driven assistants and tools for customers and internal teams.
Cyber security provider Secura conducted a red teaming exercise for a Dutch insurance company. The company realized that standard penetration tests still left gaps in its defenses and that more advanced red teaming strategies were the best next step.
Secura designed a real-world attack following the guidelines of the Unified Kill Chain and using the MITRE ATT&CK framework. After the exercise, Secura helped its client add new use cases to its SIEM platform and train staff on cyber readiness.
An international trade organization hired Kroll to help it follow stringent industry regulations. Kroll conducted a covert, three-month red teaming exercise that identified large blind spots in security, specifically related to phishing.
Kroll also identified configuration issues, a lack of overall monitoring, and inadequate incident response—all of which would make the company non-compliant. It helped the client remediate these issues to comply with new industry standards and avoid the headaches of regulatory action.
Digital protections are necessary, but organizations can’t overlook the value of physical security measures, either. QCC conducted a physical red teaming exercise for its client, a telecom company based in the United Kingdom.
The team infiltrated two locations using surveillance and social engineering strategies, which allowed them to access secure areas. The red team then gave the client a detailed report on how it gained access, which helped the company correct these vulnerabilities.
A client in the financial industry hired Omni to test all aspects of its security. Omni’s goal was to gain physical access to the corporate office, bypass multi-factor authentication, access sensitive data, and compromise core applications.
Omni’s red team used a range of tactics, including smishing, physical access through tailgating, and bypassing Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE). Its report advised the client to set up more physical security measures, passwordless MFA solutions, and cyber awareness training.
Red teaming has become an essential strategy for organizations that want to stay one step ahead of cyber threats. The real-world examples in this blog highlight how companies across industries—from AI developers to financial institutions—are using red teaming to uncover vulnerabilities and improve their security posture.
But you can’t do red teaming alone. Mindgard’s red team professionals bring human expertise into AI red teaming, and our team of ethical hackers will help you uncover vulnerabilities and build a resilient security strategy. Schedule a demo and take the first step toward a stronger, more secure future.
Organizations should define the scope and objectives, establish a rules of engagement (RoE) document, ensure internal stakeholders are aware of the exercise, and allocate resources for both the exercise and post-exercise remediation efforts.
Yes, red teaming can identify gaps that may lead to non-compliance. By addressing these gaps, organizations can meet regulatory standards, avoid penalties, and improve overall security.
The RoE document outlines the boundaries, scope, and objectives of the red teaming exercise. It ensures ethical hackers know what’s allowed and prevents unintentional harm to critical systems or business operations.
