Improving Red Teaming for Critical Infrastructure Protection: A Comprehensive Approach

In the world of cybersecurity, the term “Red Team” traditionally refers to simulated adversaries tasked with testing a system’s defenses. However, as the threat landscape becomes increasingly sophisticated and multifaceted, the approach to Red Team operations must evolve. Protecting critical infrastructure is no longer just about technological defenses; it requires a holistic approach that encompasses both technical and human aspects.

A true Red Team operation must go beyond conventional penetration tests and vulnerability assessments. It needs to integrate every aspect of an organization’s security posture, involving not only IT departments but also human, operational, and strategic layers of the organization. Cybersecurity is not only about firewalls, encryption, and penetration tests. It’s about understanding the vulnerabilities that extend to organizational processes, behaviors, and decision-making. When it comes to critical infrastructure, these vulnerabilities can have far-reaching consequences beyond the digital realm.

When executed correctly, Red Team missions simulate real-world threats by evaluating not only the technology but also the behaviors, processes, and policies that could be exploited by adversaries. We live in an era where social engineering, misinformation, and internal threats are increasingly common tactics used by attackers. The human factor, whether intentional or not, remains the most significant vulnerability in any cybersecurity strategy. From spear-phishing to poorly implemented security protocols, organizations are often their own worst enemies.

In the context of critical infrastructure, where the stakes are particularly high, Red Team engagements must go beyond identifying technical flaws. Effective Red Teams must operate with the understanding that human vulnerabilities, communication breakdowns, and organizational inertia can be just as dangerous as any exploited firewall or malware. For this reason, a successful Red Team mission should include training and simulations at all levels of the organization, ensuring that the response to cyber threats is unified and well-coordinated.

To illustrate how a comprehensive approach can be effectively applied, we can refer to the Planets system, which I developed specifically for protecting critical infrastructure in a bank. Planets is a system based on the TIBER-EU framework, designed to overcome the limitations of conventional Red Team missions.

The model consists of several “planets” that work in coordination, covering all aspects of protection. Épsilon, the first planet, is made up of a multidisciplinary team that conducts a thorough risk assessment of the bank, considering not only technological threats but also criminal trends and operational characteristics of the client. The next step is the Gamma planet, which prepares the infrastructure for Alpha to identify vulnerabilities before the real attack takes place. Finally, Omega executes the simulated attack in its final phase, while Delta focuses on threat prospecting, anticipating potential criminal products and developing strategies to stay one step ahead of attackers.

This integrated approach allows Red Team teams to not only assess threats but also act proactively, incorporating both human and technological elements into a much more realistic simulation.

When designing Red Team missions, it’s essential to think of them as real-world scenarios. Cyberattacks rarely occur in isolation; they are often part of a broader strategy designed to exploit both technology and human systems. A Red Team should consider how an attacker might use social engineering tactics, internal threats, and even the media to manipulate situations to their advantage. The key to success is not just understanding how to penetrate a network, but anticipating how an adversary might exploit a weak link within the organization’s human framework.

At its core, Red Teaming is about creating the most accurate and complete model possible of the adversary’s potential behavior. By integrating human intelligence into the process, Red Teams can simulate more realistic threats that go beyond traditional technical penetration tests. The result is not only identifying vulnerabilities but better preparing the organization for a coordinated and multifaceted attack.

The global cybersecurity environment is rapidly changing, and the protection of critical infrastructure is no longer a passive activity. Organizations must anticipate and stay ahead of evolving threats. By leveraging intelligence-driven Red Team operations, companies can design security strategies that are adaptive and proactive.

The next step in the evolution of Red Teaming is not simply improving technical capabilities but developing a deeper understanding of how adversaries operate on all fronts. Red Team members should come from diverse fields, not just cybersecurity professionals, but also behavioral analysts, communication experts, and even crisis management specialists. Only through a multidisciplinary approach can Red Team missions provide the most realistic and insightful assessments of critical infrastructure defenses.

In the face of increasingly complex threats, Red Teams must embrace both the technical and human aspects of cybersecurity. The goal is not merely to simulate attacks but to understand how vulnerabilities can be exploited across a wide spectrum of organizational activities.

By focusing on the integration of both technical and human elements, Red Teams can help organizations transition from a reactive security posture to a proactive one, ensuring that critical infrastructures remain secure and resilient in the face of evolving threats.