Purple teaming

How purple teaming works

A purple team exercise follows a structured, iterative cycle:

• Attack planning – the red team selects specific tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) from the MITRE ATT&CK framework, mapped to realistic threat scenarios for the target organisation
• Controlled execution – the red team executes each technique while the blue team monitors using their existing detection tools (SIEM, EDR, MXDR platform)
• Real-time assessment – after each technique, both teams review whether the blue team detected the activity, how long detection took, and whether the alert provided sufficient context for response
• Gap identification – where detection failed, both teams collaborate to understand why – missing log sources, absent detection rules, insufficient alert tuning, or tool limitations
• Immediate remediation – detection rules are created, tuned, or corrected during the exercise, and the technique is re-executed to verify the fix

This iterative approach means the organisation’s detection capability measurably improves during the exercise, not weeks or months later.

Purple teaming vs red teaming

	Purple teaming	Red teaming
Collaboration	Red and blue work together	Red operates covertly
Blue team awareness	Fully informed and participating	Typically unaware
Primary output	Improved detection rules and playbooks	Report of attack paths and detection gaps
Time to value	Immediate – fixes applied during exercise	Delayed – findings require separate remediation
Best for	Improving SOC effectiveness and detection coverage	Testing real-world resilience against a motivated attacker
MITRE ATT&CK	Systematic technique-by-technique coverage	Scenario-based, goal-oriented

When to use purple teaming

Purple teaming is most effective for organisations that have an operational SOC or MXDR service with detection tools in place, have conducted at least one red team or penetration test engagement, want to systematically improve detection coverage mapped to MITRE ATT&CK, and need measurable improvement in detection capability rather than a point-in-time assessment.

Organisations without established detection capabilities should typically start with penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities, then progress to red teaming, then purple teaming as their security operations mature.

Cyberfort and purple teaming

We deliver purple team exercises that combine our CREST-certified offensive capabilities with close collaboration with your SOC or MXDR provider. Our approach uses MITRE ATT&CK to systematically test and improve detection coverage across the kill chain. Learn more about our penetration testing services →

Related glossary terms

• Red teaming]() – the adversarial simulation methodology that tests detection and response without blue team collaboration
• [MITRE ATT&CK]() – the knowledge base of adversary techniques used as the shared framework for purple team exercises
• MXDR – Managed Extended Detection and Response, the operational capability that purple teaming is designed to improve
• CREST certification – the accreditation standard for offensive security providers delivering purple team engagements

External references

• Wikipedia: Red team – includes overview of purple team concept
• MITRE ATT&CK – the framework used for systematic purple team coverage planning
• CREST: Penetration Testing Guide – provider standards for offensive testing

Frequently asked questions