As a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), you are tasked with protecting your organization from cyber threats. With the constantly evolving threat landscape, traditional cybersecurity measures may not be enough to keep your organization safe. This is where purple teaming comes in. In this blog post, we will explore what purple teaming is, how often it should be conducted, and how the findings can be used to improve your organization’s security posture.

What is Purple Teaming?

Purple teaming is a collaborative approach to cybersecurity testing that involves both the offensive and defensive teams working together. The red team, responsible for attacking the organization’s security defenses, works in collaboration with the blue team, responsible for defending against attacks. The goal is to identify vulnerabilities in the organization’s security posture and improve its ability to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats.

Benefits of Purple Teaming
  • Collaboration: One of the most significant benefits of purple teaming is collaboration between the red and blue teams. Both teams work together to achieve a common goal, which leads to improved communication and understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities.
  • Identify Vulnerabilities: Purple teaming can help identify vulnerabilities and gaps in an organization’s defenses that may not be apparent through traditional security assessments. The collaborative approach ensures that all possible attack vectors are explored and tested, allowing for a more comprehensive security assessment.
  • Enhanced Threat Detection and Response: By continuously testing and refining the security posture, purple teaming enables organizations to detect and respond to threats more effectively. This proactive approach ensures that security defenses are continually updated and strengthened.
How Often Should Purple Teaming be Conducted?

The frequency of purple teaming depends on several factors, including the organization’s risk profile, the industry it operates in, and its cybersecurity maturity level. Generally, it is recommended to conduct purple teaming at least once a year, but more frequent testing may be necessary for organizations with a high risk of cyber threats or those that handle sensitive data.

Regular testing ensures that the organization’s security posture is up to date and able to withstand the latest threats. It also provides an opportunity to identify areas that need improvement and make necessary adjustments before a real cyber attack occurs.

How Can the Findings Be Used to Improve an Organization’s Security Posture?

The findings from purple teaming can be used to improve an organization’s security posture in several ways. These include:

  • Identifying Gaps: Purple teaming can help identify gaps in the organization’s security posture that may have been overlooked by traditional security measures. These gaps can be used to prioritize areas for improvement and allocate resources accordingly.
  • Enhancing Communication: Purple teaming promotes collaboration and communication between the red and blue teams, enhancing their understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities. This can help improve the overall effectiveness of the organization’s security measures.
  • Improving Response: The findings from purple teaming can be used to develop more effective incident response plans. By identifying weaknesses in the organization’s response capabilities, the organization can take steps to improve its ability to detect and respond to cyber threats.
  • Optimizing Security Investments: Purple teaming can help optimize the organization’s security investments by identifying areas where additional investment may be required, and areas where investments can be scaled back.
Two Practical Examples of Purple Teaming

Example 1: Improving Incident Response

An insurance company conducted a purple team exercise to test its incident response plan. During the exercise, the red team was able to compromise several critical systems and exfiltrate sensitive data. The exercise highlighted weaknesses in the organization’s incident response plan, such as slow response times and inadequate communication between teams. The organization used the findings to revise its incident response plan, increasing its ability to detect and respond to real-world cyber threats.

Example 2: Enhancing Threat Intelligence

A financial institution conducted a purple team exercise to test its threat intelligence capabilities. The exercise revealed that the organization’s threat intelligence was not comprehensive enough to detect advanced persistent threats (APTs). The organization used the findings to improve its threat intelligence capabilities, including increasing the scope of its threat intelligence feeds, developing a more comprehensive threat model, and investing in additional threat intelligence tools.

Conclusion

Purple teaming is a proactive and collaborative approach to cybersecurity testing that can help organizations identify and address vulnerabilities in their security posture. By conducting regular purple team exercises, organizations can improve their incident response plans, enhance their threat intelligence capabilities, optimize their security investments, and ultimately strengthen their overall cybersecurity posture. As a CISO, it’s essential to prioritize purple teaming as part of your organization’s cybersecurity strategy to stay ahead of constantly evolving threats and protect your organization’s critical assets and data.