Cyber Work Podcast: Getting started in Red Teaming

Introduction

In this episode of Infosec’s cybersecurity podcast series Cyber Work, host Chris Sienko talks with Curtis Brazzell, managing security consultant at Pondurance, a managed detection and response cybersecurity firm. They discuss how Curtis got his start in security, the methodologies of Red Team operations and day-to-day Red Team operations and what the future looks like for Red Teaming. 

If you’re searching for a solid introductory view of Red Teaming, look no further!

Tell us about the intrusion detection and response platform you’ve been building in your spare time.

Curtis created an intrusion detection and response platform to serve home consumers. It was essentially a remote security operation center (SOC) that offered detection and response for threats on the network as well as malware removal and updating.

How did you get started in computers and security?

Curtis’ passion began in third grade when his elementary school was gifted Macintosh computers. He subsequently pushed this to the limit, causing his dad to notice and prompting him to buy Curtis his first personal computer — a Compaq Presario with Windows 95. 

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After beginning with website design and learning Visual Basic, he got into security around 1998 with a website called crashme.com. This website took advantage of a Windows 98 vulnerability that would crash your system if you visited the website. He reverse-engineered this vulnerability, which was what opened the floodgates of his security passion. 

Can you explain what a Red Team is and how it relates to things like penetration testing?

Red Teaming refers to advanced targeted, real-world cyberattacks. It’s like penetration testing but goes one step further: you’re not just identifying vulnerabilities but going in blind for an attack. Red Teams use stealthier operations and advanced tactics than pentesting does.

A big part of Red Teaming is (Read more...)