Red team vs blue team vs purple team: understanding the different types of penetration testing

In today’s threat landscape, organisations face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats from real world attackers. Protecting sensitive systems and data requires more than traditional security checks – it requires a coordinated cyber security strategy that tests how well your security systems and security controls stand up to modern attacks.

This is where red team vs blue team vs purple team understanding the different types of penetration testing becomes essential. These approaches simulate attacks, test defences, and strengthen an organisation’s security posture.

If you are reading this because you have just experienced a ransomware incident, contact Zensec immediately.

At Zensec, we help organisations implement structured penetration testing strategies that bring together red and blue teams, enabling businesses to identify weaknesses and improve their security measures before attackers exploit them.

What is penetration testing?

Penetration testing is a controlled security exercise carried out by ethical hackers to identify vulnerabilities in an organisation’s systems, networks, and applications.

Unlike a basic vulnerability assessment or automated vulnerability scanning, penetration testing simulates how threat actors might attempt to gain access to systems using real-world techniques.

This type of security testing helps organisations:

• Identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses

• Test their security technologies

• Improve incident response and threat detection

• Strengthen their organisation’s defences

While automated vulnerability scanning tools are useful, they cannot replicate the strategic thinking and red team creativity used by attackers.

The role of red teams

A red team focuses on offensive security testing. These specialists act like attackers and attempt to breach an organisation’s systems through simulated attacks.

Using offensive security tools, red team members attempt to discover attack vectors, exploit weaknesses, and find possible attack paths into systems.

Typical red team activities include:

• Social engineering attacks

• Credential harvesting

• Network exploitation

• Attack simulation targeting critical systems

The goal of red team engagements is to determine exactly which vulnerabilities could allow successful attacks and how attackers might move through the network.

Unlike automated testing, red teams simulate the behaviour of real world attackers, identifying security weaknesses that traditional testing methods often miss.

These exercises generate valuable red team findings and red team insights that can be used to improve security defences.

The role of blue teams

While red teams simulate attacks, the blue team is responsible for defending the organisation.

Blue team members monitor systems, detect threats, and respond to incidents as they happen.

Their responsibilities typically include:

• Network monitoring

• Investigating security incidents

• Running threat hunting activities

• Improving threat detection

• Managing incident response

Many blue teams operate within a security operations center, where security analysts, incident responders, and incident response specialists monitor environments for suspicious activity.

When red team attacks occur during testing, blue team detection capabilities are put to the test. This allows organisations to assess whether their security tools and processes can effectively identify and stop attackers.

Ultimately, blue teams work to strengthen the organisation’s defensive capabilities and protect critical assets.

What is purple teaming?

While red versus blue testing is valuable, it can sometimes lead to siloed operations. This is where the purple team approach comes in.

A purple team bridges the gap between offensive and defensive teams, ensuring that red and blue insights are shared effectively.

Instead of working separately, blue and red teams collaborate in structured purple team exercises.

The purpose of purple teaming is to enable knowledge sharing between teams so that organisations can continuously improve their security posture.

Through this collaborative approach, purple teams ensure:

• Red team discoveries are understood by defensive teams

• Security gaps are quickly addressed

• Detection rules and response strategies improve

This collaboration leads to continuous improvement in security operations.

How red, blue and purple teams work together

When organisations deploy red blue and purple security strategies, they create a more effective effective cybersecurity strategy.

Each team plays a distinct role:

Red team

Tests the organisation’s systems using simulated attacks and offensive techniques.

Blue team

Defends the environment through monitoring, detection, and incident response.

Purple team

Facilitates collaboration between blue and purple teams and red teams to improve security improvements.

Together, these three teams strengthen an organisation’s security posture and improve resilience against emerging threats.

Red team vs blue team vs purple team: key differences