Fundamentals, Ethics & Legal Scope
Overview
Red teaming is an authorized security exercise that simulates real-world attacker behavior to test an organization's defenses. Everything else in this section depends on the ethical and legal boundaries covered here.
Key concepts
- Red team, threat actor, attack surface/vector
- Tactics vs. techniques vs. procedures (TTPs)
- Authorization, scope, rules of engagement
- Responsible disclosure
How it works
Red team fundamentals
Red teaming is an authorized security exercise that simulates real-world attacker behavior to test an organization's security defenses.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red team | A group that simulates an attacker during an authorized security assessment. |
| Threat actor | A person, group, or organization that carries out malicious cyber activity. |
| Attack surface | All systems, services, accounts, applications, and entry points that could potentially be targeted. |
| Attack vector | The method an attacker uses to gain access to a system or network. |
| Tactics | The general goals an attacker tries to achieve during an attack. |
| Techniques | Specific methods used to accomplish an attacker's goals. |
| Procedure | The detailed steps used to carry out a technique. |
Ethics and legal scope
Ethical hacking is authorized security testing performed to identify and report vulnerabilities. Ethical hackers must have clear permission before accessing, scanning, testing, or attempting to exploit any system.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Authorization | Written permission to perform security testing on a system or organization. |
| Scope | The defined systems, applications, networks, accounts, and activities allowed during an assessment. |
| Rules of engagement | The agreed-upon rules explaining how a security test will be conducted. |
| Out-of-scope system | A system that is not authorized for testing. |
| Permission to test | Formal approval from the system owner allowing specific security activities. |
| Responsible disclosure | Reporting a vulnerability privately to the affected organization so it can be fixed. |
| Proof of concept | Evidence demonstrating a vulnerability exists without causing unnecessary harm. |
| Data handling | Rules for protecting sensitive information discovered during an assessment. |