Purple Teaming Part 2: Inside the Lifecycle, from Preparation to Protection

Missed Part one of this two-part blog series? Read it first to learn how Purple Teaming is elevating cybersecurity testing beyond a one-and-done checkbook exercises so that your pen test moves the needle toward security maturity.

Read Purple Teaming Part 1: The Key to Better Cybersecurity Testing >

Ready to dive deeper? Let’s unpack how a purple team engagement unfolds and how it transforms both offensive and defensive operations. Then, we’ll explore the benefits of partnering with a professional services team to maximize the benefit of your purple team exercise.

Breaking Down the Purple Team Lifecycle

A mature purple team effort isn’t a one-time drill. It’s a structured process with clear phases that produces repeatable – yet adaptable – testing. These security tests can then be executed throughout the year on a set schedule, or ad-hoc after significant changes to the environment. Regardless of when a test is run, the purple peam will follow a prescriptive path.

Here’s how the purple team lifecycle it works:

Prepare

Every successful purple team engagement starts with thorough preparation. This means bringing everyone to the table, including red, blue, and purple team members, to define what you want to achieve. Together, you agree on the scope and outline clear goals and measurable objectives. You’ll also choose which realistic attack scenarios to test, often using trusted frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK for guidance. It’s also critical to set rules of engagement so everyone knows what’s in bounds and what to expect during the exercise. When the team aligns expectations up front, everyone hits the ground running once testing begins.

Execute

With a solid plan in place, it’s time to put it into action. During execution, the red team carries out carefully crafted attacks. They’ll use realistic tactics and techniques to simulate what actual adversaries might do. Meanwhile, the blue team actively monitors the environment. They fine-tune detection rules on the fly and practice response as suspicious activities unfold. The purple team acts as a bridge, keeping communication flowing between both sides, answering questions, and making real-time adjustments to keep the tests productive and on track.

Identify

After the test runs its course, the team shifts focus to pinpointing what worked and what didn’t. They analyze which attacks the system successfully detected, how quickly it triggered alerts, and how effectively the blue team responded. They document any blind spots or weak detection points in detail, along with the insights and evidence gathered during the exercise. These findings serve as the blueprint for strengthening your defenses moving forward.

Remediate

Finally, it’s time to turn lessons learned into real improvements. The team works together to update detection logic, tighten alert thresholds, and fine-tune response playbooks so defenders are better prepared next time. Analysts receive targeted training to address any gaps identified during testing. Once the team implements the fixes, they run follow-up exercises to ensure the changes work as intended. By closing the loop this way, each purple team cycle strengthens your security posture.

The Benefits of a Third-party Purple Team

While internal teams know their environment best, partnering with an experienced third-party purple team brings fresh perspectives and specialized expertise that are hard to match in-house. A trusted external team can design realistic attack scenarios based on the latest threat intelligence. They’ll also challenge assumptions that internal teams might overlook and provide objective insights free from internal bias. They also help foster collaboration between red and blue teams that may otherwise operate in silos. Ultimately, a third-party purple team engagement accelerates threat detection and response without pulling your team away from their priorities.

Learn More and Get Started

Download our whitepaper, From Compliance to Resilience: The Case for Purple Teaming, for deeper insights and understanding. Then connect with one of our experts to see how you can stand up a Purple Team with a trusted partner that helps you achieve real results.

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