Conducting Full-Scope Red Team Engagement

Overview

A full-scope red team engagement simulates real-world adversary behavior across all phases of the cyber kill chain — from initial reconnaissance through data exfiltration — to evaluate an organization's detection, prevention, and response capabilities. Unlike penetration testing, red team operations prioritize stealth, persistence, and objective-based scenarios that mimic advanced persistent threats (APTs).

When to Use

• When conducting security assessments that involve conducting full scope red team engagement
• When following incident response procedures for related security events
• When performing scheduled security testing or auditing activities
• When validating security controls through hands-on testing

Prerequisites

• Written authorization (Rules of Engagement document) signed by executive leadership
• Defined scope including in-scope/out-of-scope systems, escalation contacts, and emergency stop procedures
• Threat intelligence on relevant adversary groups (e.g., APT29, FIN7, Lazarus Group)
• Red team infrastructure: C2 servers, redirectors, phishing domains, payload development environment
• Legal review …