Red Team Assessment Services and Adversary Simulation
A red team assessment tests whether your organisation can detect and respond to a determined attacker. Instead of listing every vulnerability, our team pursues agreed objectives, such as reaching customer data or domain admin, using the techniques real adversaries use. You learn how far an attacker gets, and how quickly your team notices.
Last reviewed 2026-09-28 by the Scantra Security testing team
Red teaming vs penetration testing
A penetration test aims for coverage: find as many weaknesses as possible in a defined scope. A red team engagement aims for realism: reach a goal while avoiding detection. Red teaming is best suited to organisations that already test regularly and have a security operations capability they want to validate.
What a red team engagement can include
- External reconnaissance and attack surface mapping
- Phishing and social engineering, with prior approval
- Initial access through exposed services or applications
- Active Directory and cloud privilege escalation
- Lateral movement and data access objectives
- Assumed-breach scenarios starting inside the network
- Purple team sessions with your SOC
Frameworks we use
We map activity to MITRE ATT&CK so your detection engineers can see exactly which techniques were used and which were detected.
Engagement stages
1. Objectives and rules of engagement
Goals, exclusions, legal approvals and a trusted contact at your side.
2. Reconnaissance
Open-source intelligence and external mapping.
3. Execution
Controlled attack chain towards the objectives.
4. Debrief
Timeline of actions, detections and missed alerts, with a replay session for your blue team.
Who should consider a red team
Banks, fintechs, large SaaS providers and enterprises with a SOC or managed detection service. If you have not had a penetration test yet, start there first.
Frequently asked questions
Will our team know about the test?
Usually only a small group of trusted contacts, so the SOC's response is realistic.
Is social engineering included?
Only when you approve it in writing, with agreed limits.
How long does a red team take?
Typically several weeks, depending on objectives.
Is it safe for production?
We agree safety rules in advance and avoid destructive actions.