Financial Entities Ethical Red Teaming Framework
Financial Entities Ethical Red Teaming Framework
2 Background ...................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Stakeholders ................................................................................................................................. 6
2.2 Required Teams ............................................................................................................................ 7
Green Team........................................................................................................................................... 7
White Team ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Blue Team ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Red Team .............................................................................................................................................. 7
2.3 Penetration Testing versus Red Teaming ..................................................................................... 7
2.4 The Cyber Kill Chain Methodology ................................................................................................ 8
2.5 Threat intelligence ........................................................................................................................ 9
2.6 Overview of the Phases............................................................................................................... 10
4 Scenario phase............................................................................................... 12
4.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 12
4.2 Threat Intelligence Gathering ..................................................................................................... 12
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4.3 Defining and Approval of high-level attack scenarios................................................................. 13
4.4 Preparing and Approval of detailed attack scenarios ................................................................. 13
4.5 Finalizing the Red Teaming Plan ................................................................................................. 13
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1 The Saudi Arabian Financial Entities Ethical Red Teaming Framework
1.1. Introduction
It is crucial that the Member Organizations within the Financial Sector are resilient against the newest and
most advanced cyber-attacks.
The Financial Entities Ethical Red Teaming Framework (F.E.E.R.) is intended as a guide for Member
Organizations within Saudi Arabia in preparing and executing controlled attacks (i.e. threat intelligence
based red teaming tests) against their (live) production environment without exposing sensitive
information with the help of certified and experienced Red Teaming Providers.
The Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority (SAMA) has a leading role in the implementation of this Framework.
This Framework and associated processes will be continuously improved using the feedback and lessons
learned from each red teaming exercise. This framework aims for sharing of intelligence and information
obtained during such testing in order to further improve the cyber resilience of the Saudi Arabian Financial
Sector.
Red Teaming should not be regarded as an Audit. It is a simulation test, which seeks to provide insight
into the level of resilience and effectiveness of the implemented cyber security controls and relevant
processes (i.e. detection and response).
Red Teaming is not a penetration test. In contrast to a penetration test (in which one or more specific
information assets are tested and assessed), it focuses on replicating a targeted and realistic attack against
the entire Member Organization performed in a controlled manner.
The Red Teaming Provider will use the latest attack tactics, techniques and procedures (i.e. TTPs) in an
attempt to compromise the Member Organization, aiming to reach the member organizations most
important and valuable information assets and to test the detection and response capabilities of the
Member Organization. The Red Team consists of certified and experienced ethical hackers with in-depth
knowledge of all security domains.
The Framework will ensure that the red teaming exercise is executed in a controlled manner. This is
important given the nature of the targets during the testing, namely business critical and (live) production
systems (i.e. critical information assets).
1.3. Applicability
The Framework applies to all Member Organizations in the Financial Sector regulated by SAMA. SAMA has
the authority to select any Member Organization to perform a red teaming exercise considering its
criticality and emerging threat landscape. In addition, member organization can rightfully conduct red
teaming exercise in order to ensure security resilience.
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1.4. Responsibilities
The framework is mandated by SAMA. SAMA is the owner and is responsible for periodically updating the
Framework.
1.5. Interpretation
SAMA, as the owner of the Framework, is solely responsible for providing advice on the interpretation of
the principles, objectives and considerations, if required.
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2 Background
More and more governments, national agencies and regulators consider the protection of their national
or sector-wide critical infrastructure as a high priority on their national cyber security agenda. In order to
test the cyber resilience of the critical infrastructure, governments, agencies and regulators are
increasingly embracing red teaming approaches. These red teaming approaches are generally
underpinned by a framework which outlines how red teaming tests should be conducted, how to identify
the organizations which should be considered part of the key or core infrastructure and the periodicity or
frequency of these tests.
In a red teaming test, an organization performs a ‘simulation’ of a realistic cyber-attack. The Red Teaming
Provider, consisting of certified and experienced ethical hackers, will execute / simulate cyber-attacks
based on available threat intelligence and attack scenarios, which aims to test the cyber resilience of an
organization.
The cyber security attacks are cautiously modelled and tested, and will simulate a malicious attacker -
using their attack approach - from the reconnaissance activities up to the actual compromise of the critical
information asset(s). The simulation of these (attack) steps are executed and tested during a red teaming
test and will provide vital insights into the organization's resilience against cyber-attacks.
2.1 Stakeholders
The stakeholders within the red teaming exercises have different roles and corresponding responsibilities.
Irrespective of role, it is important that everyone is aware that any form of testing is performed in a
controlled manner, and that a communication protocol is agreed regarding the sharing of information
among the stakeholders. The relevant stakeholders are:
1. SAMA IT Risk of Financial Sector Supervision department – The authority that has primary
responsibility for overseeing the Red Teaming exercise.
2. The Member Organization – Each Financial Organization within the Financial Sector of Saudi Arabia
and regulated by SAMA.
3. The Security Operations Centre – The SOC positioned within the Member Organization, which will be
subject to the red teaming test.
4. The Red Teaming Provider – An external certified party, which has been selected to perform the red
teaming exercise and provide required national or sector threat intelligence to define scenarios.
5. Available Member Organization committees (e.g. Banking Committee for Information Security - BCIS)
– Relevant results of executed red teaming tests, lessons learned and threat Intelligence might be
shared within this committee, in an appropriately sanitized form using the agreed communication
protocol, to support the increase of the overall cyber resilience of the (financial) sector.
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2.2 Required Teams
For the execution of the red teaming exercise, the following teams should be established:
Green Team
SAMA IT Risk of Financial Sector Supervision department provides the Green Team. The Green Team
appoints the Test Manager for each red teaming test. The Test Manager is responsible for guiding and
supporting the White Team through the red teaming exercise. The Green Team approves the selection of
Red Teaming Provider and provides – when applicable – additional or specific threat intelligence for the
Financial Sector.
White Team
Within the Member Organization, the White Team should be appointed (including a White Team Leader),
who will be responsible for the controlled execution of the red teaming exercise. The White Team consist
of a limited number of security and business experts which are the only staff members that are aware of
the red teaming test and who are the single-point-of-contacts (SPOCs), e.g. CISO. They will monitor the
test and intervene when needed, e.g. when the test or results of the test are likely to, or have, caused a
critical impact, compromise or service disruption.
The overall number of staff members that should be involved in the engagement, should be limited to
maximum five (5) people, to avoid a too wide disclosure of the intended cyber-attack simulation and – as
a result – that the effectiveness of the exercise is limited or flawed.
Blue Team
The cyber security monitoring team of the Member Organization (e.g. SOC) which monitors and analyses
the generated security alerts and events to identify security breaches or flaws. It is the task of the Blue
Team to detect the malicious activities (of the Red Team) and to follow the agreed incident response
procedures the moment an incident is detected. The Blue Team should never be informed about the test
and are expected to follow their standard operating procedures, in order to simulate a realistic attack.
Red Team
The Red Team, a selected third party that executes the attack scenarios and consists of certified and
experienced specialists. The Red Team will work with the Green Team and White Team to develop the
potential threats and attack scenarios. The Red Teaming Provider is also responsible for providing the
latest threat intelligence related to the Financial Sector in order to achieve a certain level of assurance
that the Member Organization is tested against the latest known (sophisticated) cyber-attacks.
Please refer to Appendix A – Requirements for Red Teaming Provider, for more details on Red Teaming
Provider requirements.
The overall objective of a red teaming exercise is different from the objective of a penetration test. In a
red teaming exercise, the objective is to (independently) test the overall cyber resilience of a Member
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Organization. This is achieved by testing the implemented cyber security controls, along with the
detection and response capabilities.
A secondary objective is to share the lessons learned with the Member Organizations within the Financial
Sector, to further improve the overall cyber resilience within the sector.
Gain oversight of vulnerabilities Goal Test the resilience against realistic attacks
Mapping, scanning and exploiting Test techniques Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs)
The Cyber Kill Chain provides a good insight into how an attack works and where the different tools and
methods employed at each stage. To lower the risk of a successful attack, defensive measures (e.g.
preventive, detective and responsive and corrective) should be considered and taken for each of the steps
of the kill chain to reduce the probability of being compromised and improve the resilience of the Member
Organization.
The following seven (7) stages characterize an advanced cyber-attack in the cyber kill chain:
1. Reconnaissance:
The first stage is about selecting a target and gathering information about the target to determine attack
methods. This happens before the attack is executed. Examples of useful information can be: names,
1
Computer scientists at Lockheed-Martin corporation developed and described the "intrusion kill chain"
framework to defend computer networks in 2011.
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phone numbers, email addresses, functions, private or professional areas of interest of employees on the
internet and published information about the software that an organization is using.
2. Weaponize:
The attacker creates the malicious payload/file for a specific target based upon information retrieved
during the reconnaissance stage. The attack can come in many different formats and is based upon the
creativity of the attacker, the available set of defenses and the possible vulnerabilities.
3. Delivery:
The transmission of the crafted attack to the victims by the use of different means, such as: email
(attachments), phishing, websites, physical devices or social engineering.
4. Exploitation:
Triggering or activating the malicious payload/file (i.e. malware) will result in a successful penetration of
the target’s system and network. A staged malware attack limits the possibility of detection. The malware
will communicate back to the malicious attacker over a secure channel, which limits the chance of
detection. Attackers usually use popular methods and file formats to deliver the malware executables
(e.g. Microsoft office files, pdf files, malicious websites, phishing emails and removable media).
5. Installation:
The actual installation of malicious payload/file or software that supports the malicious attacker. In order
to make the malware and backdoor(s) persistent, the attackers could install additional malware or
malicious software tools to ensure that the attack can continue if the initial compromised system or active
malware is disabled.
A compromised system will usually connect back to the attacker, to establish a so-called command-and-
control channel, which allows remote control of the malware. Especially in advanced persistent threat
(APT) malware, the attacker will control the malware and explore the network by using this type of remote
access.
7. Actions on Objective:
After the attacker completed his malicious actions or achieved his goals, the attacker will try to cover his
digital tracks and traces by using different techniques, like data exfiltration, or will use the compromised
system as starting point to ‘hop on’ to other systems in the network (i.e. lateral movement), to search for
other high value assets or targets.
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2.6 Overview of the Phases
The Saudi Arabian Financial Entities Ethical Red Teaming Framework consists of four phases. In the
corresponding chapters of this framework, each phase is described in detail.
Please refer to Appendix C – Glossary for more details and definitions regarding this Framework.
3 Preparation phase
3.1 Overview
The Green Team initiates the preparation phase of the red teaming exercise by appointing a Test Manager.
A Backup Test Manager should also be nominated given the importance of this role.
The Test Manager is responsible for contacting the Member Organization to explain the red teaming
concept and processes. The Test Manager will invite the Member Organization to appoint and formalize
their White Team and start contracting the Red Teaming Provider.
The White Team Leader initiates a kick-off session, where all relevant stakeholders (i.e. Green, White and
4 weeks
Red Team) are invited to align the ambition and objectives of the red teaming exercise.
The Test Manager of the Green Team should invite the Member Organization to appoint a White Team.
During the entire red teaming exercise, the White Team will keep close contact with the Test Manager.
The Test Manager will oversee the Red Teaming exercise and will provide support, guidance and
reflections to ensure that the entire Red Teaming exercise performed by the White Team and Red Teaming
Provider is in line with the Framework. As the Test Manager is not a formal part of the White Team, he
cannot be held accountable for any actions or consequences.
Please refer to Appendix A – Requirements for Red Teaming Provider, for more details on Red Teaming
Provider requirements.
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3.4 Determining White Team
The Member Organization should carefully establish a White Team and nominate a White Team Leader in
order to facilitate, oversee and lead the red teaming exercises during all phases. The White Team Leader’s
role is to make sure that the entire Red Teaming exercise is performed in a controlled manner, on behalf
of the Member Organization. After establishing the White Team, the White Team Leader needs to
coordinate with the appointed Red Teaming Provider for contract and invite the Red Teaming Provider to
the kick-off meeting.
Agreeing on contractual considerations, e.g. Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) clauses, the liability
for any consequence flowing from the test, and a Letter of Authorization (LOA);
Introduce the Red Team members to the White and Green Team.
Please refer to Appendix A – Requirements for Red Teaming Provider, for more details on Red Teaming
Provider requirements.
After the procurement of the Red Teaming Provider, the White Team should start involving the Red
Teaming Provider and its identified staff, to ensure their experience and input is fully utilized and that the
staff of the Red Teaming Provider is introduced into the business model and services of the Member
Organization.
The Red Teaming Provider will share their advice and recommendations to the White and Green Team
based on their (previous) experience in order to support the scoping discussion.
Boundaries, limitations and escalation procedure for the red teaming test should be discussed and defined
by the White Team with mutual understanding with the Green Team. Another important step is to agree
on the liability for the actions of the Red Teaming Provider (see also 3.5).
The White Team should create a Scoping document. This document should contain contact details of the
White Team members and the identified flags (i.e. defined goals or target systems) during the red teaming
exercise. This document also contains the overall plan for the exercise, predefined escalation procedures
and communication protocols (including the code-name for the test).
Once the scope is defined by the White Team, the Scoping document should be submitted to the Green
Team for approval.
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4 Scenario phase
4.1 Overview
At the beginning of this phase, the Green and White Team should independently provide their available
Threat Intelligence (TI) to the Red Team. The Red Teaming provider will combine the received Threat
Intelligence, with their own Threat Intelligence (which should be based on their own sources, their
experience and earlier executed tests). Based on the combined threat intelligence the Red Team
determines the attack scenarios and strategies. These attack scenarios and strategies are than discussed
with the Green Team before defining the detailed attack Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs). If
necessary, a discussion with Red and White Team should be initiated to further discuss and agree on the
final attack scenarios in the light of Green Team comments.
The scenario phase usually takes several weeks (maximal five (5) weeks). An overview of the process is
depicted below:
National and
Sector-wide Validate attack Update sector-wide
threat scenarios and threat intelligence
Validate TTPs Yes and attack
intelligence and strategy
Incidents scenarios
Yes
No
White Team
No
Inside threat Validate attack
intelligence and Yes steps & TTPs
Incidents
5 Weeks
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The Red Teaming Provider will combine the received threat intelligence with their external threat
intelligence (including and using their own ‘open’ sources), and the intelligence gathered during various
red teaming engagements.
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5 Execution phase
5.1 Overview
The phase starts with the Red Teaming Provider executing the attack scenarios. During the process, the
White and Green Team should be updated regularly. All actions should be logged for evidence and replay
purposes, with the Blue Team.
' End
White Team
Informed about
Update on progress security breach Continue? Discuss and review
by Blue Team Initial findings
No Final Draft Report
Yes
Red Team
'
7 Weeks
Red Teaming Provider should apply their expertise and ‘creativity’ to develop alternative ways or
workarounds in order to reach the identified critical (information) assets or functions. It is crucial that the
Red Teaming Provider remains in close contact with both the Green and the White Team and does provide
periodic updates on the progress made during the red teaming test - in line with the frequency which was
agreed during the kick-off, or in case of escalations or severe incidents or occurrences - immediately.
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5.3 Executing the Defined and Agreed Scenarios
If the Blue Team detects any events triggered by the Red Team while performing their actions, the Red
Teaming Provider should decide in conjunction with the White Team Leader if the red teaming test can
be continued in line with the initial plan or whether the initial attack plan can be adjusted.
The White Team Leader should consider the following options when the actions of the Red Teaming
Provider are detected:
1. Stop or postpone the test in case there is a significant risk of a business disruption;
2. Carefully monitor and direct the Blue Team or response activities, in case extreme actions are about
to be taken (i.e. reporting the incident to law enforcement, shutting down critical services to avoid to
avoid further impact from the incident, ..Etc.);
3. Inform the Red Teaming Provider to continue with the initial attack scenarios;
4. Inform the Red Teaming Provider to revise the (detected) attack or to create a workaround for the
specific critical information asset and continue with the revised attack scenario after approval from
the White Team Leader;
5. Inform Green Team on the detection of events and decision on the exercise.
6. Request the Red Teaming Provider to re-engineer an alternate attack scenario for an adjusted critical
information assets (e.g. change in scope).
5.4 Reporting
After completing the red teaming test, or stopping upon request of the White Team Leader, the Red
Teaming Provider should prepare their initial observations and findings, preferably in chronological order.
These observations and results should be discussed with the Green and White Team. These observations
and findings provide the basis of evaluating the detection and response capabilities of the Blue Team.
After the preliminary evaluation, the White Team should share their observations, from their respective
role and point of view.
Note. After completing the red teaming test the Red Teaming Provider is required to immediately inform
the White Team Leader of the installed red teaming scripts, code or malware, etc., including an overview
the user-ids which were created, compromised or (re)used during the test. The White Team Leader needs
to evidence to the Green Team that these ‘indicators of compromise' were removed or reset.
The White Team should include insights of what has and has not been detected or observed by the Blue
Team. The Red Teaming Provider should use this information to overall assess and evaluate the Blue
Team’s detection and response capabilities in the draft report. The Red Teaming Provider should include
all relevant observations, findings, recommendations and evaluations, which were noted or experienced
during preparation, scenario and execution phase, including those from the White and Green Team. The
provided recommendation should consider SAMA Cyber Security Framework and other applicable
industry good practice.
The final report should include the exploited cyber kill chains, summarized in the form of attack vector
diagrams. These attack vector diagrams should provide insights into how the attack scenarios were
executed and where to focus on when implementing mitigating controls. The final report should be agreed
upon by all Teams involved and copy of the report should be submitted to SAMA by the provider.
Please refer to Appendix B – Requirements for Reporting, for more details on Red Teaming Provider
requirements.
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6 Lessons Learned phase
6.1 Overview
In this phase, the Red Teaming Provider should deliver the final red teaming report, which should contain
the overall assessment of the Member Organization’s resilience against targeted cyber-attacks.
The Blue Team should deliver the blue team report with their observations, findings and
recommendations and should focus on the alerts and actions taken as part of the detection and response
capabilities of the Member Organization.
Once the final red and blue team reports are distributed to all Teams. The White Team should invite the
Red, Blue and Green Teams to participate in a (360 degrees) feedback session in which they share their
observations and experiences for learning purposes (of the staff and management involved), to
understand what capabilities need to be improved (e.g. prevent, detect and respond) and (enhancing)
future exercises.
After the feedback session, a Replay Exercise should be organized, led by the Blue and Red Team. The
objective of the joint Replay Exercise is to step through the red team exercise, discussing all the relevant
actions and observations, highlighted from both angles, i.e. the Blue and Red Team.
The next step is the overall evaluation of the red teaming exercise processes itself. The outcome of the
evaluation may contribute to vital information to enhance the Financial Entities Ethical Red Teaming
Framework for future exercises.
The White Team should create a remediation plan based on the detailed observations and
recommendations.
To ensure that all Member Organizations within the Financial Sector benefit from these red teaming
exercises, an anonymized summary report of the executed red teaming test should be provided, and if
required presented. The sharing of this report should be limited to the agreed with the closed community
(i.e. addresses) and within the boundaries of the agreed communication protocol.
Based on the evaluations, feedback and sharing sessions SAMA should review, discuss and initiate
adjustments to improve the current Framework, if required.
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An overview of the Lessons Learned process is depicted below:
RT test RT replay
Blue Team and
Final RT report feedback feedback
Red Team replay
session session
Blue Team
RT replay
Blue Team Blue Team and
feedback
report Red Team replay
session
Financial Sector
Shared
anonymized
lessons learned
4 Weeks
6.2 Debriefing
The Red Teaming Provider finalizes the red teaming report and presents the output to all the White and
Blue Team. Simultaneously, the Blue Team should create a blue team report. The blue team report should
provide the observations from the perspective of the Blue Team and should include the alert and events
detected; the actions initiated and the result of these actions. The blue team reports should also provide
the Blue Team’s recommendations for improvements.
It is important that all teams (i.e. Green, White and Red) that were directly involved in the red teaming
test provide their (360 degrees) feedback on the executed red teaming test. The White Team should
initiate and schedule a joint replay session with all the teams.
The purpose of the Replay Exercise is to explain and discuss each step and action individually to assess
whether the alert or detected event lead to the expected actions. It is important to determine whether
the initiated actions led to the expected results and whether the actions were correctly initiated or should
be subject for improvement.
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Replaying the red teaming exercise should ensure the more comprehensive (in-depth) understanding of
the performed attack patterns, the current maturity of the detection and response capabilities and the
implemented layered defenses or controls within the tested Member Organization.
Additionally, the White Team may repeat the replay exercise for specific target audiences within the
Member Organization. It is strongly suggested to re-perform the replay exercise for:
a. The relevant staff members within the IT organization – the scope of this session can be a very in-
depth and technical session in order to provide the relevant insights in the technical and procedural
aspects.
Note. When the level of detail is insufficient or the attack steps cannot be demonstrated, then
there can be a tendency for members within the IT organization to downplay these attacks or
argue that the exercise is just theoritical.
b. The Senior Management – a high-level replay session with the Senior Management should also seek
to raise awareness and educate Senior Management. The replay session should provide an overview
and objective of the red teaming exercise, an overview of the performed attacks and responses, an
overview of the current detection capabilities and an overview of the suggested improvements
required to further improve the cyber resilience.
Note: The Green Team should not actively share nor distribute the red and blue team reports, nor the
evaluation reports, nor the remediation plan unless the Member Organization provides written
permission.
As stated earlier, the primary objective of this Framework is exercising, learning and sharing.
The Member Organization should be tracking the actual remediation progress to ensure the timely
execution and delivery of the improved capabilities. The Member Organization should ensure that the
Cyber Security Committee (and if required the Senior Management) is periodically updated on the
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progress of the planned remediation actions, and should request support when remediation activities do
not progress as expected.
Sharing the summarized report and the lessons learned helps other Member Organizations build the
knowledge and experience they need to improve their own cyber resilience.
Note. The sharing of the report and lessons learned should be limited to the agreed with the closed
community (i.e. addresses) and within the boundaries of the agreed communication protocol.
By applying the lessons learned within their own Member Organizations the cyber resilience of the overall
Saudi Arabian Financial Sector will improve, regardless of whether the Member Organizations are
considered systematic for the sector, or not.
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Appendix A – Requirements for Red Teaming Provider
The following requirements should be considered when selecting and procuring a Red Teaming Provider.
Clearly defined and proven Red Teaming approach and methodology, process, governance, quality
assurance and risk management
1. The Red Teaming Provider should have a clearly defined process in place for red teaming tests and
the related operations; these should describe the activities regarding: the preparation, scenario
development, execution and lessons learned phases activities and requirements;
2. Key element in Red Teaming Provider’s approach should be the learning experience for the Blue
Team and feedback session to improve the knowledge of the involved staff and departments and
to mature the cyber security detection, response and recover processes and control measures and
where required the prevention measures (e.g. security hardening);
3. The Red Teaming Provider should be able to assist in creating and maintaining a knowledge base
so that known weaknesses and lessons learned can be shared and improved within the Financial
Sector;
4. The Red Teaming Provider should have a verifiable quality assurance and escalation structure in
place for their red teaming operations;
5. All activities from the Red Teaming Provider should be reproducible (e.g. logging all activities);
6. The Red Teaming Provider should adhere to a formal code of conduct overseen by an
internal/external party;
7. The Red Teaming Provider should be able to proof that it provides high quality services, including
the methodologies, tools, techniques and sources of information that will be used as part of the
red teaming and testing process;
8. The Red Teaming Provider should be able to proof that results of tests are generated, reported,
stored, communicated and destroyed in a way that does not put a Member Organization at risk;
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9. The Red Teaming Provider should ensure that no data leakage occurs from the testers laptops and
systems and that all data obtained is securely stored during and securely destroyed after the
engagement;
10. Any (agreed) data exfiltration by the Red Teaming provider should be restricted to the extent just
required to prove the attack scenario. This data should only be stored in encrypted format and
locally (not at cloud providers).
11. The Red Teaming Provider should assure the privacy of the staff within the Member Organization;
12. The Red Teaming Provider should be able to provide a written assurance that the activities and risks
associated with the red teaming test and that confidential information will be adequately
addressed and performed in line with the security and compliance requirements of the Member
Organization;
13. A Letter of Authorization including non-disclosure terms should be mutually agreed between the
Red Teaming Provider and the White Team to ensure that potential liability or legal issues are
covered.
The Red Teaming Provider should consider the one or more of the following suggested certifications for
its managers and testers, which will participate in the red teaming exercise. Verification of the certification
of the staff and level of practical experience is key when selecting or procuring the Red Teaming Provider.
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Appendix B – Requirements for Reporting
The following content should be considered when drafting the reports and providing the deliverables.
Note. All reports should only be provided via secure communication channels and shared under an
agreed communication protocol (i.e. need-to-have and for-you-eyes-only).
Below the outline of the report and the required elements (not limitative):
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An overall conclusion of the cyber resilience of the Member Organization
Detailed conclusions for each attack scenario performed
A conclusion per agreed critical information assets or function
Appendices
The list of involved teams and team members
Screenshots with evidence
Any other supportive materials
Below the outline of the report and the required elements (not limitative):
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Recommendations focused on people, process and technology,
Recommendations focused on detection, response and recover
Suggested priority rating for each recommendation
Roadmap for the suggested improvements
Suggested input for upcoming cyber security awareness campaigns
9. Conclusions
An overall conclusion of the current cyber resilience state of the Member Organization
The conclusions regarding the required and suggested improvements (from both the Blue and
Red Team)
Detailed conclusions for each attack scenario performed and the state of the current
capabilities of the Blue Team
Appendices
The list of involved departments, teams and team members
Screenshots with supporting evidence
Any other supportive materials
Below the outline of the report and the required elements (not limitative):
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8. Roadmap for the agreed and prioritized improvements
9. Frequency of updating the Cyber Security Committee of the Member Organization and the Green
Team
10. Project Management Organization
People/teams involved
Overview of the relevant tasks and responsibilities
Appendices
The list of involved departments, teams and team members
Screenshots with supporting evidence
Any other supportive materials
The remediation plan should be classified as: Confidential / Internal Use Only
This report should only be provided via a secure communication channels and shared under an agreed
communication protocol (i.e. need-to-have and for-you-eyes-only).
Below the outline of the report and the required elements (not limitative):
The Red Teaming Test Summary plan should be classified: Highly Confidential (need-to-have and for-
you-eyes-only)
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Appendix C - Glossary
Term Description
The ability to continue to: (i) operate under adverse conditions or stress, even if in a
degraded or debilitated state, while maintaining essential operational capabilities; and
Resilience
(ii) recover to an effective operational posture in a time frame consistent with mission
needs.
An attack, via cyberspace, targeting an enterprise’s use of cyberspace for the purpose of
disrupting, disabling, destroying, or maliciously controlling a computing
Cyber-attacks environment/infrastructure; or destroying the integrity of the data or stealing controlled
information.
Ref (NIST SP 800-39 (CNSSI 4009) )
MO Member Organization - Organizations affiliated with SAMA.
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A group of individuals that conduct operational network vulnerability evaluations and
provide mitigation techniques to customers who have a need for an independent
technical review of their network security posture. The Blue Team identifies security
threats and risks in the operating environment, and in cooperation with the customer,
analyzes the network environment and its current state of security readiness. Based on
Blue Team the Blue Team findings and expertise, they provide recommendations that integrate into
an overall community security solution to increase the customer's cybersecurity
readiness posture. Often times a Blue Team is employed by itself or prior to a Red Team
employment to ensure that the customer's networks are as secure as possible before
having the Red Team test the systems.
Ref: (CNSSI 4009-2015 )
A security operations center (SOC) is a specialized location (and team) where security-
related data from enterprise information systems (e.g., web sites, applications,
databases, servers, networks, desktops and other devices) is monitored, assessed and
SOC actioned. The SOC is often dedicated to the detection, investigation and potential
response to indicators of compromise. The SOC works closely with, and disseminates,
collated security-related information to other areas of the organization (e.g., the cyber
security function, incident management team and IT service owners).
Cyber kill chain Contractual concept used to structure a cyber-attack.
The group responsible for referring an engagement between a Red Team of mock
attackers and a Blue Team of actual defenders of their enterprise’s use of information
systems. In an exercise, the White Team acts as the judges, enforces the rules of the
exercise, observes the exercise, scores teams, resolves any problems that may arise,
handles all requests for information or questions, and ensures that the competition runs
White Team fairly and does not cause operational problems for the defender's mission. The White
Team helps to establish the rules of engagement, the metrics for assessing results and
the procedures for providing operational security for the engagement. The White Team
normally has responsibility for deriving lessons-learned, conducting the post
engagement assessment, and promulgating results.
Ref: (CNSSI 4009-2015 )
The Green Team is provided by the SAMA Financial Sector Cyber Team. The Green Team
appoints the Test Manager for each red teaming test. The Green Team also maintains a
Green Team
short list of potential Red Teaming Providers and provides the threat intelligence for the
Financial Sector.
The Test Manager is responsible for a guiding the White Team through the red teaming
Test Manager
exercise.
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Weakness in an information system, system security procedures, internal controls, or
Vulnerability implementation that could be exploited or triggered by a threat source. (NISTIR 7298r2
Glossary of Key Information Security Terms)
NDA Non-disclosure agreement
Threat intelligence is evidence-based knowledge, including context, mechanisms,
Threat indicators, implications and actionable advice, about an existing or emerging menace or
Intelligence hazard to assets that can be used to inform decisions regarding the subject's response
to that menace or hazard. (Gartner)
Ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information. (NISTIR 7298r2 Glossary
Availability
of Key Information Security Terms)
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