Cyber threats don’t play by the rules - neither should your testing. Red Team engagements go beyond traditional penetration tests, simulating real-world attacks that target your technology, people, and physical security. By thinking like an adversary, we expose the gaps others miss and help you build true resilience.
Expose Real-World Risks
Simulate advanced, goal-driven attacks to reveal how adversaries could exploit your technology, people, and physical security.
Test Beyond Technology
Go further than traditional Pen tests by assessing human behaviour, processes, and physical entry points - not just systems.
Strengthen Resilience
Identify gaps across your entire security posture and prioritise fixes that make the biggest impact.
Prove Your Defences
Validate your security investments and demonstrate readiness against sophisticated, multi-layered threats.
Thousands of organisations across the UK trust us, here’s why…
CREST & CHECK Accredited
We are certified for both CREST and CHECK Green Light testing - an achievement not all testing companies can claim.
Clear and Concise Reports
We provide easy-to-understand reports with detailed findings and actionable recommendations.
CREST Infrastructure & App Testing
We are certified in both CREST Infrastructure and Application testing to the highest standards.
Specialised Testing Teams
Developer-trained testers deliver comprehensive app, API, and cloud testing for deeper, more effective results.
Experienced & Senior Consultants
Our team consists of highly experienced, senior consultants and penetration testers with over 15 years of expertise.
We Save You Time and Money
Clients consistently tell us that we deliver higher-quality testing in less time.
Outstanding Communication
We establish dedicated Teams or Slack channels to ensure seamless two-way communication between all.
Forward-Thinking Security
Our team goes beyond identifying vulnerabilities, offering proactive solutions to mitigate future risks.
Red Teaming: The CyberLab Approach
Red Team engagements go beyond traditional penetration tests, simulating real-world attacks that target your technology, people, and physical security. By thinking like an adversary, we expose the gaps others miss and help you build true resilience.
- Gather intelligence on the target organization, infrastructure, employees, and security posture.
- Use OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence), social engineering, and passive network scanning to identify potential attack vectors.
- Identify high-value targets (HVTs), key personnel, exposed services, and weak points.
- Develop tailored payloads, exploits, and attack vectors based on gathered intelligence.
- Set up Command and Control (C2) infrastructure for post-exploitation activities.
- Craft phishing emails, malicious documents, or pretexting scenarios for social engineering.
- Execute the attack by delivering payloads via phishing, USB drops, malicious web applications, or exploiting known vulnerabilities.
- Bypass security controls such as email filtering, endpoint protection, and network monitoring.
- Establish an initial foothold within the target environment.
- Escalate privileges from the initial compromised host (e.g., bypassing UAC, exploiting misconfigurations, or credential dumping).
- Move laterally within the network using pass-the-hash, Kerberoasting, or pivoting techniques.
- Identify and escalate to domain admin or high-value assets.
- Maintain access via backdoors, persistence techniques (scheduled tasks, WMI, registry modifications, etc.).
- Use custom C2 channels (HTTP, DNS tunneling, encrypted traffic) to avoid detection.
- Conduct stealthy operations to evade endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions.
- Achieve mission goals – e.g., data exfiltration, unauthorized system access, or disrupting critical operations.
- Access sensitive files, financial data, customer records, or operational systems.
- Simulate real-world attacker motivations (financial gain, espionage, sabotage, etc.).
- Maintain stealthy access for long-term presence, mimicking advanced persistent threats (APT).
- Use covert exfiltration techniques (steganography, encrypted channels, cloud storage, or DNS tunneling).
- Securely exit without leaving forensic artifacts, covering tracks to challenge blue team detection.
- Provide a detailed report outlining findings, attack paths, detection gaps, and security recommendations.
- Conduct a purple team session, allowing defenders to learn from real-world attack scenarios.
- Deliver actionable insights to enhance incident response, threat detection, and security resilience.
Why Choose CyberLab for Red Teaming?
Unmatched Expertise
14-strong UK team, including 7 CHECK Team Leaders, 6 CTMs, and SC/NPPV3-cleared consultants.
ProvenTrack Record
Over a decade of high-stakes testing for public sector and regulated industries, building on our ex-Armadillo Sec heritage.
Trusted by 1,200+ Organisations
Including NHS, local authorities, housing,
manufacturing, education, and financial services.
RapidResponse
Next-day testing for compliance deadlines, audits, and urgent stakeholder needs.
No Jargon, NoOrphaned Reports
Just clear, evidence-based security improvement.
A Leading Financial Services Organisation Enhances Security with Red Team Security Testing
A leading UK financial services organisation partnered with CyberLab to independently validate and strengthen its cyber security posture during ongoing digital transformation. Operating in a highly targeted and regulated sector, the organisation required assurance that its defences could withstand modern attack techniques. Through a Red Team security testing programme, including targeted attack simulation and application testing, CyberLab identified both technical and human‑centric risks. This proactive approach improved security maturity, strengthened resilience, and supported ongoing regulatory compliance while protecting customer trust.
CREST, CHECK & Cyber Scheme Certified
CREST (the Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers) is an international accreditation with a strict Codes of Conduct and Ethics. CHECK is the Government-backed accreditation from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) which certifies that a company can conduct authorised penetration tests of public sector systems and networks.
All our penetration testers are certified by CREST, with senior consultants certified by CREST to the highest CCT Level. Our testers are also either CHECK Team Leaders (CTL’s) or Team Members (CTM’s).
Security testers that pass the Cyber Scheme exams demonstrate ‘competence and skill at the highest levels’ as defined by the National Technical Authority for Cyber Security (NCSC).
Our team have decades of combined experience and take pride in operating at the highest level of the industry – conducting a broad range of government and commercial tests – and always aim to go the extra mile.
Red Teaming Vs Penetration Testing
Key Differences Between Red Teaming and Penetration Testing
| Red Teaming | Penetration Testing | |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Simulate a real-world, targeted attack to test an organisation’s detection and response capabilities. | Identify and exploit vulnerabilities in a defined scope to assess security weaknesses. |
| Approach | Covert and goal‑oriented, mimicking advanced persistent threats (APTs). | Typically overt; the organisation is aware of the test and it follows a structured, checklist‑based approach. |
| Scope | Broad: covers people, processes, and technology (e.g., phishing, physical intrusion, network attacks). | Predefined and limited to specific assets (e.g., web apps, networks, APIs, cloud). |
| Attack Simulation | Focuses on stealth over depth; emulates real adversarial behaviour to avoid detection. | Focuses on depth over stealth; targets in‑scope systems for vulnerabilities. |
| Defensive Awareness | Blue team is unaware (unless purple teaming); tests real‑world detection and response. | Blue team is usually aware and may assist in testing and validation. |
| Duration | Long‑term (weeks to months). | Short‑term (days to weeks). |
| Outcome | Post‑engagement report showing how red team compromised assets and how the blue team responded. | Detailed report of vulnerabilities, exploitability, and remediation recommendations. |
| Compliance | Not compliance‑driven; focused on assessing real‑world resilience. | Often driven by regulatory or compliance needs (e.g., PCI DSS, ISO 27001, CHECK). |
Red Teaming Case Study: Tailgating into a Client's Office
During a Red Team engagement, the team studied staff behaviour and entry protocols. Using this intel, a tester posed as an employee on a phone call and tailgated through a side entrance for Cycle to Work users.
When challenged by security, a quick flash of a fake pass and confident demeanour secured access. Inside, the tester shadowed an employee into a keycard lift, then discovered another lift that bypassed security barriers. Coordinating with a colleague, they used this route to reach the main lobby and then an office floor by joining employees in lifts and engaging in casual conversation. Once inside, they booked a meeting room as a base of operations.
This exercise proved how social engineering tactics – tailgating, confidence, and exploiting trust – can defeat strong physical security. The client was briefed on these vulnerabilities and advised on tightening protocols and staff awareness.
Uphold Audit Integrity Between Tests
Your Early Warning System for Cyber Risk
AI-powered cyber risk monitoring with secure dashboard and shareable reports, delivered by security experts.
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This page was reviewed by Steve Clarke, Head of Penetration Testing at CyberLab, on 11.05.26.
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