What Is the Purpose of the Purple Team?

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Learn what a purple team is, how one can benefit your organisation, and how to get started in a purple team job in this cutting-edge area of cybersecurity.

[Featured image] Cybersecurity expert checks data on a laptop computer

The purpose of the purple team is to provide a comprehensive, coordinated approach to security that combines offensive and defensive strategies. While working on a purple team, you aim to improve your organisation's overall security posture by identifying weaknesses and gaps in defences through purple team exercises and then developing and implementing plans to address them.

What are the red, blue, and purple teams in cybersecurity?

You can divide cybersecurity teams in several ways, but one common way is into red and blue teams. 

• Red teams are typically responsible for trying to break into an organisation's systems, simulating the actions of real-world attackers. 

• Blue teams are responsible for defending against these attacks and securing the systems.

The purple team combines the skills of both the red and blue teams. In its simplest form, a purple team can be one member of a red team and one of a blue team working together.

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Your organisation may require that several professionals work together in the group. You can bring together purple teams temporarily, create a permanent team, or bring them in as an external resource on a consultancy or contracting basis.

When your organisation creates a purple team function, you can transform a competitive, antagonistic relationship between red and blue teams into a collaborative process where the teams share a vision and align their strategies.

Purple teaming defined

Traditionally, cybersecurity has been seen in the context of an attacking team and defending team working in different silos. Purple teaming is a collaborative approach to cybersecurity that brings together red and blue teams to test and improve an organisation’s security posture. 

Your purple team changes the team dynamic and culture, maximising the contribution of each set of skills. You use the knowledge and tools of both the red and blue teams to identify weaknesses in security controls, processes, and procedures. You use the information you learn to create actionable plans that can improve your organisation's overall cybersecurity.

Purple team exercises and activities

A purple team uses various tools and techniques, including penetration testing and monitoring, to identify weaknesses in the organisation's defences. These exercises and activities help improve the organisation's overall security posture. 

In this role, you’ll work on activities designed to improve the systems, procedures, and controls that shield the company from threats like social engineering, password cracking, malware, Denial of Service (DoS), and phishing attacks. Here are some of the activities your purple team will carry out:

  • Performing social engineering attacks and attempting to gain access to sensitive data

  • Launching cyber malware and bug attacks against critical systems

  • Trying to exploit vulnerabilities in systems and applications

  • Conducting penetration testing of systems and networks

  • Performing security audits of systems and networks

  • Developing and implementing a comprehensive security plan

  • Performing regular vulnerability scans

  • Identifying and patching security vulnerabilities

  • Encrypting data at rest and in transit

  • Restricting access to sensitive data and systems

  • Monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity

  • Deploying intrusion detection/prevention systems

These purple team activities reflect both sides of what red and blue teams traditionally do. The difference is that professionals with red experience and those with blue experience sit together. Your team looks at specific attacks and vulnerabilities to see if they can detect them. They also adapt systems and processes to enable better security practices. 

Purple activities involve an interactive, transparent, collaborative approach to cybersecurity improvement. This varies significantly from the traditional approach, where a red team submits a cybersecurity penetration test or other reports that you may or may not read and act upon.

Benefits of purple teaming

Purple teaming aims to improve the organisation's security by collaboratively identifying weaknesses and vulnerabilities and then developing and implementing plans to mitigate those risks. Changing the team dynamic brings several benefits, including the following:

  • Strengthening overall cybersecurity faster: Purple teaming can help identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities in an organisation's security posture. The organisation can address these issues through improved policies, procedures, and technology. Working together can challenge specific vulnerabilities and improve defences more quickly. The strategic approach means you can target attacks.

  • Improving the ability to detect vulnerabilities: Purple teaming can help security professionals better understand how attackers think and operate, making it easier to identify potential vulnerabilities before they can exploit them. Both teams gain a deeper understanding of your organisation's overall security landscape.

  • Works for many different kinds/sizes of organisations: Purple teaming is not just for large enterprises; any organisation can benefit from this exercise.

  • Continuous feedback: Purple teaming provides a constant feedback loop between the red and blue teams, which can help identify areas for improvement and ensure the blue team professionals are up to date.

  • Creativity and innovation: When you have red and blue teams working together, you improve their ability to think outside the box and develop innovative solutions. New perspectives bring creativity and a more rounded understanding of cybersecurity. Red and blue professionals develop “purple skills.”

Purple team best practices

Purple team activities are comparable to Agile sprints, with short timeframes. For this reason, setting up purple team communications and processes requires some strategy. Consider the following best practices when assembling a purple team:

Get the right people.

Make sure your team has the right mix of skills and knowledge. The last thing you want is for your team to become bogged down by someone who doesn't understand the problem or cannot contribute to the solution.

Plan and scope thoroughly.

Take the time to plan your attack and defences. Know what you're trying to accomplish and what resources you have available. This will save you a lot of time and frustration later on.

Track and revise the process.

Track your team's progress and make changes as needed. This includes modifying the plan if it's not working, adding new members if needed, and adjusting the project scope.

Ensure collaboration and effective communication.

Establish clear communication channels between the red and blue sides of the team. This will help ensure that information is shared appropriately and efficiently and that the team becomes collaborative rather than competitive. 

Document and report.

You must document everything done during the exercise. Then, you’ll have a record of what your team accomplished to use as a reference in the future.

Certifications/education that support purple team expertise

Obtaining the right certifications and educational credentials is helpful for professionals aiming to excel in a purple team environment. These programmes provide the knowledge and skills to effectively combine offensive and defensive cybersecurity strategies.

Some of these programmes include:

  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

  • GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)

  • GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)

  • Security+

  • CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)

  • SSCP - Systems Security Certified Practitioner | (ISC)²

  • Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

Potential purple team jobs

You may not see the term "purple team" used commonly in the job market. However, you will likely see many jobs that involve activities associated with a purple team and those that require “purple skills.” Understanding security's offensive and defensive sides is helpful if you want to work in these roles. 

Here are some purple team jobs and their corresponding annual salaries.

  • Security analyst: £42,676 [1]

  • Security engineer: £56,236 [2]

  • Cybersecurity advisor £50,148 [3]

  • Cybersecurity analyst: £41,798 [4]

  • InfoSec consultant: £45,189 [5]

  • Ethical hacker: £49,507 [6]

Ready to take the next step in your cybersecurity career?

In a purple team role, you’ll protect organisations from cybercrime, safeguard data, and respond to security incidents. Many online courses and training programmes can help you learn more about purple teaming and how to carry out these activities effectively.

Consider the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate on Coursera. This programme is designed ​​to help individuals with no previous experience find their first job in the field of cybersecurity, all at their own pace. The courses cover topics such as security models, tools used to access and address threats, networks, and more. 

Article sources

1

Glassdoor, “Security Analysts Salaries in United Kingdom, https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/security-analyst-salary-SRCH_KO0,16.htm”. Accessed 7 June 2024.

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