← Penetration testing
Offensive security

Red teaming and offensive security

Goal-based, real-world attack simulation that tests how well you detect and respond to an attacker, across people, process and technology.

Scope your test

Run by Layer 7's CREST-accredited penetration testing team, with every engagement under agreed rules of engagement. See our accreditations

Why it matters

Why test more than your defences

A penetration test finds as many weaknesses as it can within a defined scope. A red team engagement asks a different question: could a determined attacker reach a goal that matters to you, and would you notice in time?

It's the offensive testing trusted by central-government clients. We have been engaged by a major UK central government department to deliver offensive security testing and capability building.

Scope

What we look at

Agreed objectives

Goals that reflect real business impact, such as reaching a critical system or dataset, agreed with you up front.

Initial access

Realistic routes into your organisation, within rules of engagement agreed in advance.

Movement and escalation

From a foothold to the objective, as quietly as a real attacker would go.

Detection and response

Whether your monitoring spots the activity, and how your team responds when it does.

People and process

How your processes and people hold up under a realistic attack, not just your technology.

Capability building

Debriefs and knowledge transfer that leave your defenders better equipped for the real thing.

Our approach

How we test it

  1. 01

    Plan

    We agree objectives, rules of engagement and a small control group who know the engagement is running.

  2. 02

    Execute

    We pursue the objectives the way a real attacker would, adapting to what your defences do.

  3. 03

    Debrief

    We walk your defenders through the timeline: what we did, what they saw, and what to improve.

What we find

Common weaknesses

Every finding comes with evidence, a risk rating and practical remediation guidance, and a free retest once it's fixed.

  • Gaps in detection coverage

    Attacker activity that never raises an alert because nothing is watching that part of the estate.

  • Alerts that aren't acted on

    Detections that fire but get lost in the noise, or reach someone who doesn't know what to do next.

  • Short paths to the crown jewels

    Over-privileged accounts and flat networks that take an attacker from foothold to objective in a few steps.

  • Unclear escalation

    No agreed route for raising a suspected incident, so response starts late.

FAQ

Common questions

How is red teaming different from a penetration test?

A penetration test aims to find as many weaknesses as possible in a defined scope. A red team engagement pursues specific objectives, the way a real attacker would, and tests whether you detect and respond.

Who in our organisation knows the engagement is happening?

A small control group, agreed during planning. Keeping it small means your defenders respond as they would to a real attack.

Is it safe for our live systems?

Yes. Rules of engagement agreed in advance set out what is in and out of bounds, and the control group can pause the engagement at any time.

Specialist testing

More specialist testing

Build chainCI/CD pipeline reviewLearn moreImages and podsContainer security reviewLearn moreOrchestrationKubernetes security testingLearn moreDesktop appsThick client penetration testingLearn moreIdentityActive Directory security reviewLearn more

See all our penetration testing

Between tests: attack surface management and continuous vulnerability management.

Find out if you'd spot a real attack

Tell us what you need tested and we'll give you a fixed-price quote and a clear scope, with a free retest included.

Scope your test