How is Red Team different from pentesting?

Pentesting is vulnerability-focused and time-boxed. Red Team simulates a real adversary with clear objectives and stealth, validating whether your SOC/Blue Team can detect, respond, and learn.

What is a TLPT exercise under DORA?

TLPT (Threat-Led Penetration Testing) is a threat-driven test required for certain entities under DORA. It is designed using threat intelligence and can align with approaches such as TIBER-EU.

Will it impact production?

Engagements follow strict Rules of Engagement, checkpoints, and agreed windows. High-risk actions (DoS, saturation, invasive changes) are excluded or simulated in controlled environments.

What do we receive at the end?

Executive & technical reports, a full attack timeline, evidence, compromise paths, Blue Team performance assessment, tactical recommendations, and a prioritized improvement roadmap.

Red Team · Adversary Simulation · TLPT (DORA)

If we don’t detect it now, a real attacker will.

Realistic adversary simulation to validate controls, processes and response teams. Clear objectives, controlled stealth and actionable evidence.

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Pentesting vs Red Team

Choose based on your goal: finding vulnerabilities vs validating detection & response.

Penetration Testing

Asset-focused and time-boxed. Great for baseline risk and compliance.

✓ Strong for technical risk inventory
✓ Clear scope & timeframe
✕ Not a full operational response validation

View Pentesting →

Red Teaming

Objective-driven, stealthy simulation designed to validate your SOC/Blue Team’s ability to detect and respond.

✓ Crown jewels objectives & realistic paths
✓ Controlled evasion & Blue Team learning
✓ Concrete operational improvement roadmap

Red Team engagement lifecycle

Design + RoE + objectives

Define crown jewels, scope, exclusions, checkpoints, escalation channels, and success criteria.

Recon & intelligence (OSINT / Threat Intel)

Profile the target, attack surface, identities, vendors, and realistic vectors based on the threat model.

Initial access (realistic vector)

Controlled compromise (phishing, exploitation, exposed credentials, or RoE-approved paths), prioritizing safety and stealth.

Post-exploitation: lateral movement & privileges

Privilege escalation, persistence, detection evasion, and validation of compromise paths under agreed thresholds.

Objectives + evidence + close-out

Demonstrate impact safely, deliver evidence, and run a readout with a concrete improvement plan.

TLPT specialists (DORA)

Under DORA, certain entities must perform TLPT (Threat-Led Penetration Testing) with threat-driven design and strong evidence.

We design and run engagements alignable with TIBER-EU-style approaches, focusing on actionable outcomes for security and compliance.

Learn more about DORA

“The value of Red Team is not the finding — it’s proving whether you detect, respond and improve before a real attacker does.”

— Offensive Security Team, Hard2bit

Frequently asked questions

Can a Red Team exercise impact operations?

We run with strict RoE, checkpoints and agreed windows. Safety and learning come first; high-risk actions are excluded or simulated.

How long does it usually take?

Typically 4 to 12 weeks depending on scope and objectives. Duration enables stealth and realistic validation of detection and response.

What deliverables do we get?

Timeline, evidence, compromise paths, Blue Team/SOC assessment, and a prioritized tactical & strategic improvement plan.

Is it only for large enterprises?

No. Any organization with critical assets or sensitive data can benefit. We tailor sophistication to your real sector threat model.

Ready for the real test?

Define objectives, run a realistic engagement, and get an actionable detection & response improvement plan.

Request Red Team