Purple teaming is a collaborative security methodology where offensive and defensive teams work together to test attack techniques, measure detection outcomes, and close security control gaps in near real time.
What Is a Purple Team?
A purple team is not necessarily a separate org chart role. In most organisations it is a working model: red operators execute realistic attack techniques while blue defenders monitor, detect, respond, and improve detections during the same exercise. The objective is faster learning, measurable detection coverage, and better prioritization of security improvements.
Red Team vs Blue Team vs Purple Team
| Role | Primary goal | Typical focus | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red team | Simulate adversaries and expose gaps | TTP execution, evasion, attack-path discovery | Tests whether an attacker could achieve objectives |
| Blue team | Detect, contain, and respond to threats | Monitoring, alert triage, detection engineering, response | Tests whether defenders can see and stop the attack |
| Purple team | Improve detections and response with shared evidence | Technique-by-technique feedback, control validation, retesting | Turns separate offensive and defensive work into measurable improvement |
How Purple Team Exercises Work
- Scope the exercise: Choose the attack techniques, systems, and detection goals.
- Execute techniques: Red team runs the technique in a controlled and authorized manner.
- Observe outcomes: Blue team checks whether controls detected, blocked, or missed the activity.
- Share evidence quickly: Logs, command lines, processes, and artifacts are reviewed together.
- Improve detections or controls: Update SIEM/EDR logic, hardening rules, or response playbooks.
- Retest and document: Re-run the technique and record the before/after outcome.
Benefits
- Faster detection improvement than traditional handoff-based red/blue exercises.
- More realistic testing tied to specific adversary behaviors and MITRE ATT&CK techniques.
- Better knowledge transfer between offensive and defensive teams.
- Measurable security outcomes instead of vague “controls tested” statements.
Purple Teaming vs. Red Teaming
Purple teaming does not replace red teaming. Red teaming is useful for stealth-based resilience testing and objective-driven engagements. Purple teaming is useful when the goal is rapid, collaborative improvement of detections, response, and control coverage.
