Red Teaming Services
Put your defences up against an adversary with a clear objective. Our red teams pursue what matters most to your business, showing how far an attacker could get, whether your team would detect them and how effectively it would respond.
Want the attack to keep going after the report lands? Explore Constant Cyber Attack
CovertSwarm named in the Gartner® Hype Cycle™ for Security Operations, 2026
Less faith.
More evidence.
How far can an attacker get before you stop them?
An attacker has an objective: reach sensitive data, take control of a critical system or disrupt your operations. They adapt when a route fails and combine weaknesses across technology, people and processes. You need to know how your defenses perform against that intent, and whether your team can detect and contain the attack.
A red team engagement puts that response to the test. Within an agreed timeframe and rules of engagement, our operators pursue objectives that matter to your business. You get evidence of what they achieved, what stopped them and where your response needs to improve.
Start with a defined engagement, then keep the pressure on with Constant Cyber Attack.
Meet your red team.
They want what your attacker wants.
Face the focus, ingenuity and intensity of a real adversary. Our red teams pursue meaningful objectives, adapt when you stop them and put your defences under realistic pressure.
Your engagement starts with what an attacker would want from your business. Together, we define the objectives, scope and rules. Then our operators probe the routes in, test your controls and change tactics as the attack unfolds.
The engagement ends when the agreed objectives are achieved, the attack is contained, or the time runs out. You leave with evidence of what happened, how your teams responded, and what to strengthen.
Turn attacker pressure into boardroom confidence.
What would an attacker target in your business? Talk to our team about what you need to protect and what you want to prove.
Together, we’ll explore the objectives, scope and approach for a realistic red team engagement.
Want the attack to keep going after the report lands? Explore Constant Cyber Attack
How it works
Your engagement starts with a clear objective: what matters most to your business, and how an attacker might reach it.
Together, we agree the scope, timeframe and rules before putting your defences to the test.
1
Define the objective.
Agree what the engagement should prove, which assets matter most, and the scope, timeframe and rules of engagement.
2
Research and plan.
Study the threats relevant to your business and identify realistic routes toward the agreed objectives.
3
Execute the attack.
Pursue those objectives within the agreed rules, adapting as your defences respond and connecting weaknesses along the way.
4
Debrief.
Show what your defences prevented, what your team detected and how it responded. Explain the business impact and prioritise improvements.
Full attacker intent.
Full control for you.
Clear accountability.
Know who leads your engagement and who to contact. Before the attack begins, agree how decisions are made, how concerns are escalated and who can pause the exercise.
Agreed guardrails.
Set the scope, permitted activity and exclusions upfront. Rules of engagement define how the team operates around your production systems, sensitive data and business priorities.
Expert operators.
Work with the people conducting the attack. Understand their decisions, challenge their findings and get clear answers about what the evidence means for your business.
Evidence you can act on
See which objectives were achieved, where defences held and how your team responded. An attack narrative and prioritised recommendations give technical teams and leadership a clear basis for action.
Meet requirements across borders.
Your business operates internationally. Your security testing needs to account for that. We work with UK organisations to scope testing around domestic requirements and the obligations that come with their US and EU operations.
From CBEST and STAR-FS engagements in the UK to penetration testing supporting NYDFS Part 500 in the US and work aligned with applicable EU requirements, we bring the relevant objectives, scope and evidence into a clear engagement plan.
CREST accreditation and ISO-certified management systems give you greater confidence in the team delivering the work.
PRICING
From £1,725 per day
Your red team engagement is priced around the objectives, scope and work involved. Tell us what you need to prove, any regulatory requirements and your preferred timing. We’ll develop a proposal that sets out the approach, deliverables and cost.
Agreed objectives
Rules of engagement
Named engagement lead
Debrief and retest
What affects your quote
- Objectives and scope: what we’re trying to achieve and what’s involved.
- Attack scenarios: the technical, social and physical activities agreed.
- Duration and complexity: the time, preparation and expertise required.
- Deliverables and follow-up: reporting, debriefing and any agreed retesting.
Frequently Asked Questions
A penetration test finds and exploits as many weaknesses as possible in a defined set of systems, then reports them. A red team works towards agreed objectives, using any approved route across systems, people and buildings, and tests whether your team detects and responds to the attack. Many organisations need both, at different times.
CBEST and STAR-FS are regulator-led red team frameworks for UK financial services firms. They follow set phases, combine threat intelligence with testing and involve the regulator throughout. A commercial red team is one you commission yourself, on your own objectives and timeline. CovertSwarm supports both, and a commercial red team is a practical way to prepare for a regulator-led test.
The PRA and FCA expect firms to show they can stay within impact tolerances for their important business services during severe but plausible disruption. A red team tests this against a realistic cyber attack, showing how far an attacker gets and how quickly your team detects and contains them. That evidence can feed into your scenario testing and self-assessment.
Yes. UK organisations with US operations may have obligations such as NYDFS Part 500, which requires covered entities to run annual penetration testing. CovertSwarm is a CREST-accredited provider operating in the UK, US and EU, and scopes UK, EU and US requirements together into one clear engagement plan.
Usually not. Only a small control group, typically a senior sponsor and a few key stakeholders, knows the engagement is live. This keeps your detection and response realistic. The control group approves any high-risk steps, can pause the test and can confirm the activity is part of the exercise if your team starts escalating a real incident response.
Looking for something specific?
Talk to us. We’d love to hear from you.
Stop testing.
Start knowing.
You’ll know exactly where you stand, and you’ll be able to prove it. To your board, your regulator, and yourself.
Transform to a proactive, continuous offensive security programme
Your budget is aimed at the risk that matters, not the one you were handed
You show the board what security prevented, not a request for more
Security clears the way for the business to move faster
You enter the boardroom in command
It starts with a 30-minute Attack Discovery call.
No access to your systems required.