Training Course on Red Team and Blue Team Operations for Threat Hunters

Training Course on Red Team and Blue Team Operations for Threat Hunters

Introduction

Training Course on Red Team and Blue Team Operations for Threat Hunters provides cybersecurity professionals with the cutting-edge knowledge and hands-on skills required to excel in modern threat hunting. Participants will gain a deep understanding of both offensive (Red Team) and defensive (Blue Team) strategies, enabling them to proactively identify, analyze, and neutralize advanced persistent threats (APTs) and sophisticated cyberattacks. Through practical labs and real-world case studies, attendees will learn to anticipate adversary tactics, enhance detection capabilities, and strengthen organizational resilience against evolving cyber threats.

The curriculum emphasizes a purple teaming mindset, fostering collaboration between offensive and defensive security functions. This holistic approach empowers threat hunters to not only uncover hidden vulnerabilities but also to develop robust incident response plans and implement proactive defense mechanisms. Graduates will be equipped to lead security operations, conduct advanced digital forensics, and contribute significantly to their organization's overall cybersecurity posture in an increasingly hostile digital landscape.

Course Duration

10 days

Course Objectives

1. Understand and replicate attacker methodologies, including the MITRE ATT&CK framework, for realistic Red Team engagements.
2. Employ proactive search techniques across networks and endpoints to uncover stealthy threats and zero-day exploits.
3. Improve detection, containment, eradication, and recovery processes for rapid breach mitigation.
4. Design and deploy resilient security architectures, including SIEM optimization and endpoint detection and response (EDR).
5. Acquire proficiency in forensic investigation and malicious code analysis to understand attack impacts.
6. Bridge the gap between offensive and defensive teams to create a continuous feedback loop for security improvement.
7. Streamline alert triage, automate response playbooks, and improve threat intelligence integration.
8. Identify vulnerabilities and apply secure configurations in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
9. Recognize and counter phishing, pretexting, and social engineering attacks through awareness and technical controls.
10. Identify and remediate web application vulnerabilities and API security flaws.
11. Utilize packet analysis and flow data to detect anomalous behavior and network intrusions.
12. Understand how secure development lifecycles can prevent vulnerabilities from the source.
13. Ensure adherence to data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) and effectively report security posture to stakeholders.

Organizational Benefits

• Significantly reduce the risk of successful cyberattacks by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before exploitation.
• Improve the speed and effectiveness of breach detection, containment, and recovery, minimizing business disruption and financial losses.
• Build a more resilient and adaptable defense against evolving threats, leading to increased organizational trust and continuity.
• Maximize the effectiveness of existing security tools and technologies through better integration and utilization.
• Ensure adherence to industry regulations and reduce overall cybersecurity risk exposure.
• Cultivate a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce capable of independently handling complex security challenges.
• Drastically cut down the time it takes to identify and remediate security incidents.
• Promote a strong, collaborative security-first mindset across the organization.

Target Audience

1. Threat Hunters
2. SOC Analysts
3. Incident Responders
4. Security Engineers
5. Penetration Testers
6. Security Architects
7. Cybersecurity Consultants
8. IT Security Managers

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Red Team & Blue Team Fundamentals

• Defining Red Team, Blue Team, and Purple Team roles and objectives.
• Understanding the adversarial mindset and defensive strategies.
• Overview of the cyber kill chain and common attack vectors.
• Introduction to legal and ethical considerations in offensive security.
• Case Study: The NotPetya Ransomware Attack: Analyzing the initial compromise and the defensive failures.

Module 2: Threat Intelligence and Adversary Profiling

• Sources and types of threat intelligence (Strategic, Tactical, Operational).
• Collecting and analyzing OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) for target reconnaissance.
• Building adversary profiles and understanding their TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures).
• Integrating threat intelligence into security operations.
• Case Study: APT28 (Fancy Bear) Operations: Dissecting their intelligence gathering and targeting methods.

Module 3: Advanced Network Reconnaissance & Mapping

• Passive and active network scanning techniques.
• Identifying exposed services, vulnerabilities, and attack surfaces.
• Utilizing tools like Nmap, Shodan, and Censys for network discovery.
• Mapping network topography and identifying critical assets.
• Case Study: A corporate network compromise due to unpatched public-facing services discovered via OSINT.

Module 4: Initial Access Techniques (Red Team Focus)

• Phishing and spear-phishing campaigns for credential harvesting.
• Exploiting client-side vulnerabilities in browsers and applications.
• Utilizing supply chain attacks and trusted relationships.
• Bypassing common perimeter defenses like firewalls and IPS.
• Case Study: The SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack: How adversaries gained initial access through a trusted vendor.

Module 5: Command & Control (C2) and Persistence

• Establishing covert communication channels with compromised systems.
• Implementing various persistence mechanisms (registry, scheduled tasks, services).
• Evading C2 detection by network monitoring tools.
• Understanding domain fronting and other evasion techniques.
• Case Study: A banking trojan maintaining persistence and C2 channels within a financial institution's network.

Module 6: Lateral Movement and Privilege Escalation (Red Team Focus)

• Techniques for moving laterally across network segments (Pass-the-Hash, Kerberoasting).
• Exploiting Active Directory vulnerabilities for domain dominance.
• Leveraging local privilege escalation techniques on Windows and Linux.
• Using tools like Mimikatz, BloodHound, and CrackMapExec.
• Case Study: A ransomware group's rapid lateral movement and privilege escalation to encrypt an entire enterprise network.

Module 7: Data Exfiltration and Impact (Red Team Focus)

• Techniques for data staging and exfiltration (DNS tunneling, encrypted channels).
• Methods for destroying or encrypting data for impact.
• Understanding the exfiltration lifecycle and detection points.
• Simulating data breach scenarios and their potential consequences.
• Case Study: A nation-state actor exfiltrating sensitive intellectual property from a research firm.

Module 8: Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) for Threat Hunters (Blue Team Focus)

• Understanding EDR capabilities for real-time monitoring and threat detection.
• Analyzing endpoint telemetry (process activity, file changes, network connections).
• Developing custom detection rules and behavioral analytics.
• Utilizing EDR tools to contain and remediate endpoint compromises.
• Case Study: Using EDR to detect and respond to fileless malware attacks that bypassed traditional antivirus.

Module 9: Network Security Monitoring and Traffic Analysis (Blue Team Focus)

• Deploying and configuring IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems).
• Deep packet inspection and network flow analysis (NetFlow, IPFIX).
• Identifying anomalous network traffic patterns and known indicators of compromise (IOCs).
• Utilizing Wireshark, Zeek, and other network analysis tools.
• Case Study: Detecting C2 communication and data exfiltration attempts through DNS tunneling.

Module 10: SIEM Operations and Log Analysis for Threat Hunters (Blue Team Focus)

• Centralized log collection and aggregation from diverse sources.
• Developing effective SIEM use cases and correlation rules.
• Performing advanced queries and data visualization for threat hunting.
• Integrating threat intelligence feeds into SIEM for proactive alerting.
• Case Study: Correlating SIEM alerts to identify a multi-stage attack campaign, from initial access to lateral movement.

Module 11: Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) Essentials

• Incident response lifecycle: Preparation, Identification, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, Post-Incident Analysis.
• Memory forensics and volatile data acquisition.
• Disk forensics and artifact analysis.
• Chain of custody and legal considerations in digital investigations.
• Case Study: Post-breach analysis of a server compromised by a web shell, identifying the initial exploit and subsequent activities.

Module 12: Malware Analysis Fundamentals

• Static and dynamic malware analysis techniques.
• Identifying malicious functionalities and packer detection.
• Utilizing sandboxes and virtual environments for safe analysis.
• Extracting IOCs from malware samples.
• Case Study: Analyzing a custom backdoor used in a targeted attack to understand its capabilities and identify its C2 infrastructure.

Module 13: Cloud Security for Threat Hunters (AWS, Azure, GCP)

• Understanding cloud attack vectors and misconfigurations.
• Monitoring cloud security logs and events (CloudTrail, Azure Monitor).
• Implementing Identity and Access Management (IAM) best practices.
• Securing containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Case Study: A public cloud account compromise due to weak IAM policies, leading to data exfiltration from storage buckets.

Module 14: Purple Teaming and Red/Blue Team Exercises

• Designing and executing effective purple teaming exercises.
• Developing measurable metrics for Red and Blue Team performance.
• Constructive feedback loops and continuous improvement processes.
• Simulating realistic adversary scenarios in a controlled environment.
• Case Study: A series of purple team exercises leading to a significant reduction in detection time for common attack patterns.

Module 15: Building a Threat Hunting Program & Future Trends

• Establishing a dedicated threat hunting team within an organization.
• Integrating threat hunting into existing security operations.
• Measuring the maturity of a threat hunting program.
• Emerging threats and future trends in cybersecurity (AI/ML in security, Quantum Computing threats).
• Case Study: A small organization successfully building out a foundational threat hunting capability with limited resources, leveraging open-source tools.

Training Methodology

This course adopts a highly interactive and practical training methodology, combining theoretical instruction with extensive hands-on labs and realistic simulations. The approach includes:

• Instructor-Led Sessions: Expert-led discussions on core concepts, methodologies, and best practices.
• Hands-on Labs: Practical exercises in a dedicated cyber range environment, allowing participants to apply learned techniques in real-world scenarios.
• Case Studies and War Games: Analysis of actual cyberattack scenarios and participation in simulated Red Team vs. Blue Team engagements to reinforce learning.
• Tool Demonstrations and Usage: Practical exposure to industry-standard offensive and defensive security tools.
• Group Discussions and Collaboration: Encouraging peer-to-peer learning and fostering a purple teaming mindset.
• Capstone Project: A comprehensive, simulated Red Team/Blue Team exercise to demonstrate integrated skills.

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104 

 

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally- recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

 We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

a. The participant must be conversant with English.

b. Upon completion of training the participant will be issued with an Authorized Training Certificate

c. Course duration is flexible and the contents can be modified to fit any number of days.

d. The course fee includes facilitation training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch and A Certificate upon successful completion of Training.

e. One-year post-training support Consultation and Coaching provided after the course.

f. Payment should be done at least a week before commence of the training, to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.