Breaking the Chain - The Critical Role of Offensive Security in Cyber Defense

Offensive security practices—particularly penetration testing and red teaming—help organizations proactively disrupt the cyber attack chain. 

By simulating real-world attacks, offensive security identifies weak points across the kill chain stages (reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation, command & control, and actions on objectives) before threat actors can exploit them.

You Need Both Offensive and Defensive Security to Break the Cyber Kill Chain

The cyber kill chain model is the path attackers take—from start to finish—to infiltrate an organization and achieve their nefarious aims. As a sort of malicious order of operations, threat actors move through each of the following stages:

• Stage One: Reconnaissance
• Stage Two: Weaponization
• Stage Three: Delivery
• Stage Four: Exploitation
• Stage Five: Installation
• Stage Six: Command and Control
• Stage Seven: Actions on Objectives

Offensive security gives organizations the visibility necessary to disrupt every stage of the attack chain.

Offensive Security’s Disruptive Impact

Here’s how offensive security solutions throw a wrench in attackers’ plans. Or, more accurately, give organizations the intelligence necessary to do so.

Penetration testing examines a pre-defined scope and focuses on determining the efficacy of the security controls within that limited area.

Red teaming challenges detection and response by simulating adversary behavior across multiple stages and using full-scale simulations. Red teaming directly imitates attackers with an end goal in mind, and in launching an adversary-simulated attack,  can assess the defensive response of an organization’s SOC team.

Fortra’s 2024 Penetration Testing Report notes that 72% of respondents believe that pen testing has prevented a breach at their organization. 80% test for phishing, 72% for ransomware, 66% for missing patches, and 58% for unintentional insider threats. These are attacks with lifecycles spread all over the cyber kill chain, from reconnaissance (looking for exploitable CVEs) to Command-and-Control (ransomware in progress).

Keep in mind—offensive security isn’t just a box to be checked. It is a proactive strategy to outpace evolving threats. Because of this, many compliance guidelines (PCI DSS, GLBA, HIPAA) are beginning to mandate offensive security measures.

Actionable Takeaways: Offensive Security in Action

Offensive security techniques provide organizations with the same information that attackers have. But ahead of time. This gives canny  organizations the time—and information—to stop them.

Penetration testing uses the same techniques and tactics as a real-world attacker on vulnerabilities and system weaknesses.

In the end, blue teams are more aware of which CVEs should be prioritized during patching based on their severity levels and impacts to an organization as revealed by offensive testing.

Red teams simulate real-world scenarios. Teams can deploy a post-exploitation implant to perform advanced adversary tactics like collecting intelligence and running commands. 

They can emulate APTs and target sensitive data by any means possible. They can even deploy additional payloads. The end result? A coordinated malicious campaign that puts a broad scope of skills and solutions to the test.

This challenges teams’ abilities to respond under pressure, coordinate responses, and “fire drill” an advanced adversarial attack in real time. Red teaming transcends vulnerabilities alone, launching sophisticated malware, APTs, and more with specialized toolkits. 

For more on when to use red teaming, pen testing, or both, check out this video.

While these war games usually pit red teams against blue teams, Fortra encourages the use of purple teaming.  Purple teaming is a philosophy that embodies both red and blue teaming, facilitating open communication so an engagement doesn’t end in a win-lose scenario. With a purple team mentality, it will end in learning and a better defended organization in the future.

Integrating Offensive Security into Your Approach

In-House

If you have pen testers and red teamers, equip them with the best tools of the trade.

• Fortra’s Core Impact provides market-leading penetration testing software, complete with guided automation and an advanced exploit library so even the newest teams can launch a full-scale attack.
• Fortra’s Cobalt Strike is the industry standard for red team engagements, enabling red teamers to execute tailored advanced adversary simulations that test both tools and talent.
• For an added edge, Fortra’s Outflank Security provides an advanced red teaming toolkit to subject your systems to the most sophisticated cybercriminal techniques—making sure your team is ready for anything. 

External

If your SOC is busy enough as it is, look to third-party services (like Fortra’s Penetration Testing Services) and trusted MSSPs to do these critical offensive security tests for you.

Conclusion

Offensive and defensive security components complete a fully functional security strategy today. Without the insight from one (offensive), teams wouldn’t know where or how to strategize the others (defensive). 

Pen testing and red teaming help inform an organization’s cybersecurity strategy on where to focus next, how to allocate security resources, and the best way to prevent attacks.