Pentesting vs Red Teaming: Which is the best option?

To ensure the proper functioning and protection of cybersecurity systems within a company, periodic monitoring and evaluation are of utmost importance. Evaluating the organization's IT systems and infrastructure is crucial to understanding their level of cybersecurity.

There are two different methods used for this evaluation. On one hand, we have pentesting (or penetration testing) and on the other, red team exercises.

Both solutions aim to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities; however, their methodologies and objectives vary.

Below, we will present the differences between pentesting and red teaming, so you can choose the best solution according to your company's needs. 

What is pentesting?

Pentesting, or penetration testing, focuses on identifying and exploiting specific vulnerabilities in an organization's systems, applications, and networks.

Its main objective is to assess security and provide recommendations to mitigate the vulnerabilities found. These tests are conducted under a predefined scope and focus on specific areas of the system.

Basic characteristics of pentesting

• Predefined goals: Pentesters work with a clear set of goals and limitations, allowing for a detailed assessment of specific areas.
  
  

• Short duration: Generally, penetration tests are completed within a few weeks.
  
  
  

• Technical focus: They concentrate on identifying and exploiting technical vulnerabilities in systems and applications.

What is red team?

Red team or red teaming refers to a methodology used in cybersecurity assessments to simulate realistic attacks against a company. Red team members emulate the tactics, techniques, and procedures of real attackers, including physical and social engineering attacks.

Characteristics of red teaming

• Comprehensive evaluation: It focuses on assessing the efectiveness of organizational security as a whole, not just in specific areas.

• Extended duration: These exercicies can last several months to privide a more realistic and through assessment.

• Diverse methods: They emulate a wide range of attacks, including social engineering techniques and physical attacks, in addition to cyber attacks.

Which is the best option?

The choice between pentesting and red teaming depends on the specific objectives and needs of the company.

Below, we present some real-case examples that might help you lean towards one option or the other, depending on your corporation's needs.

Need for detailed technical evaluation: In this case, pentesting is the best option. If, for example, your goal is to identify and fix specific technical vulnerabilities in systems and applications, pentesting is the ideal choice.

Evaluation of overall security and incident response: In this case, you need a red team. To assess the effectiveness of overall security and the ability to respond to real attacks, red teaming provides a more comprehensive and realistic view.

How about from an economic perspective?

Pentesting is usually more cost-effective and less resource-intensive due to its focused approach and limited duration. In contrast, red teaming has a higher cost because of its longer duration and a more in-depth and thorough evaluation than pentesting.

ESED Attack, our security validation solution.

ESED Attack is our ethical hacking technique to validate your company's security level, unifying both solutions into one.

At ESED, we believe that to prevent and/or avoid any cyberattack, we first need to understand what we are facing. Therefore, conducting controlled attacks is essential. With our ESED Attack solution, we launch attacks of different natures on a company's IT systems to assess their security level. The attacks are harmless and are executed in a controlled manner thanks to an orchestrator agent installed on the machines where the tests will be conducted.

In summary, pentesting is ideal for short-term detailed technical evaluations, while red teaming is better for comprehensive and realistic assessments of the company's security. The choice between the two solutions will depend on the specific objectives, budget, and available resources of the organization.