Security teams often invest heavily in tools, frameworks and controls. Yet many leaders still struggle to answer a simple question. Would we be able to detect and stop attacks if and when it gets real?
Red teaming and purple teaming address this gap. They move organisations beyond theoretical preparedness and into practical validation. Instead of testing controls in isolation, these exercises simulate realistic attack scenarios and observe how people, processes and technology respond together.
For organisations operating complex environments, red and purple team exercises have become a key method to understand security maturity. They expose blind spots, challenge assumptions and help teams improve how they work under pressure.
In this blog, we explain what red and purple team exercises are, how they differ, and why they are increasingly important in modern cybersecurity programmes.
Red and purple team exercises explained
Red and purple team exercises are adversary-simulation activities designed to test defensive capabilities against realistic threats. They are not compliance checks or automated scans. They are controlled, intelligence-led simulations.
What is a red team exercise?
A red team exercise simulates the actions of a real attacker. The red team operates covertly, using techniques that mirror real-world threat actors. Their goal is to achieve defined objectives such as data access, privilege escalation or lateral movement, without being detected.
The focus is on realism. The red team does not follow a checklist. They adapt, pivot and exploit weaknesses just as an attacker would.
What is a purple team exercise?
A purple team exercise combines offensive and defensive teams in a collaborative format. Instead of operating in secrecy, red team activity is shared with the blue team in near real time.
This approach focuses on learning and improvement. Detection gaps are identified, defensive rules are tuned, and response playbooks are refined during the exercise itself.
Red and purple team exercises in cybersecurity serve different purposes, but both aim to strengthen real operational capability.
Do red and purple team exercises matter today?
Threat actors evolve faster than most security programmes. New attack techniques emerge, detection evasion improves and dwell time reduces.
Traditional testing methods struggle to keep pace.
Red and purple team exercises help organisations understand how they would perform against modern threats, not historical ones.
They answer questions that tools alone cannot.
- Would our monitoring spot unusual behaviour?
- Would alerts be prioritised correctly?
- Would teams coordinate effectively under pressure?
These exercises turn assumptions into evidence.
Key differences between red and purple team exercises
While often discussed together, red and purple team exercises have distinct characteristics.
1. Objective
Red team exercises aim to test detection and response without prior warning. Purple team exercises aim to improve detection and response through collaboration.
2. Visibility
In red team engagements, defenders are unaware of attack details. In purple team engagements, activity is transparent and shared.
3. Outcome
Red team exercises produce insight into gaps and exposure. Purple team exercises produce measurable improvement in controls and processes.
Organisations often use both approaches at different stages of maturity.
When organisations should use red team exercises
Red team exercises are most effective when an organisation wants an honest assessment of its security posture.
They are commonly used to:
- Test detection and response capability
- Validate assumptions about control effectiveness
- Assess readiness against targeted attacks
- Understand attacker dwell time and movement
Because they simulate real threats, red team exercises require mature environments and executive alignment. Findings can be uncomfortable. That discomfort is often where the value lies.
When purple team exercises deliver more value
Purple team exercises are ideal when the goal is improvement rather than exposure.
They work well when organisations want to:
- Tune SIEM and EDR detections
- Improve SOC workflows
- Strengthen incident response playbooks
- Upskill defensive teams
Red and purple team exercises in cybersecurity often work best together. Red team exercises identify gaps. Purple team exercises help close them.
How red and purple team exercises strengthen security operations
Red and purple team exercises influence security at multiple layers.
- Detection capability: These exercises reveal which attacker techniques generate alerts and which go unnoticed. This helps teams prioritise detection engineering efforts.
- Response effectiveness: They test how quickly and accurately teams respond. Escalation paths, communication clarity and decision-making all come under scrutiny.
- Control validation: Firewalls, endpoint controls, identity systems and network segmentation are tested in combination, not isolation.
- People and process alignment: Security incidents are rarely purely technical. These exercises expose coordination gaps between SOC, IT, risk and leadership teams.
The result is a more grounded understanding of operational readiness.
Red and purple team exercises in cybersecurity and regulatory alignment
While not always explicitly mandated, these exercises support multiple regulatory and governance objectives.
They help demonstrate:
- Continuous risk assessment
- Effectiveness of security controls
- Incident response readiness
- Governance over detection and response
For organisations operating in regulated environments, red and purple team exercises provide tangible evidence of security maturity.
They show that controls exist not just on paper, but in practice.
Conclusion
Red and purple team exercises transform security from theory into practice. They test what matters most. How teams detect, respond and recover when it counts.
Red team exercises expose reality. Purple team exercises help improve it.
Together, they provide organisations with a practical path toward stronger detection, faster response and better coordination across security operations.
For leaders seeking confidence in their cyber readiness, red and purple team exercises in cybersecurity offer insight that tools and audits alone cannot provide.
We work alongside security teams to design red and purple team exercises that reflect real threats and real environments. Our focus stays on learning, improvement and measurable outcomes.
Speak to our experts to explore red team services and purple team services tailored to your organisation.
Red and Purple Team Exercises FAQs
How often should red and purple team exercises be conducted?
Most organisations benefit from annual red team exercises and more frequent purple team sessions focused on detection improvement.
Are red and purple team exercises suitable for smaller organisations?
Yes, when scoped appropriately. Smaller, focused scenarios can deliver significant value without disruption.
Do these exercises disrupt business operations?
Well-designed exercises avoid production impact and are coordinated to minimise risk.
Can results be shared with auditors or leadership?
Yes. Clear reporting helps demonstrate maturity, learning and continuous improvement.
