RED TEAM summary

Introduction

What's in it for me? Discover the possibilities of thinking like the enemy. Can you imagine paying someone to plan a bomb attack on your company? Well, there are companies out there who are happy to do this for you and no, we're not talking about insurance fraud.

These kinds of companies are known as red teams, groups of specialists hired by organizations to plan a bomb attack or a similar catastrophe as a way to find out about any security gaps in an organization, or the weak points in a business strategy. In this summary, you'll find out how red teams work, what they can do for many government organizations, how they help to keep us all safe from terrorists and why they constantly face criticism and resistance. You'll also learn about the link between red teamers and method actors, why your government might be making plans to kill you, and how your last flight via Frankfurt may have been a lot riskier than you thought.

Red Teams Importance

Organizations can use red teams to uncover hidden problems, but only if they're willing. As humans, we've got a rather peculiar blind spot for our own mistakes. This is why, for example, we get friends to proofread our essays in university.

And it's also why organizations hire red teams, groups of experts whose job it is to work out the weaknesses in a company's strategies, structures and security measures. Though red teams can be incredibly effective, many leaders are reluctant to accept their help. Authoritarian figures or personalities don't enjoy being contradicted and often refuse to enlist red teams in the first place. This was the case with the head of Federal Aviation Administration.

It took a terrorist attack on a Pan American Airway plane in one thousand nine hundred and eighty eight with two hundred and seventy fatalities before he decided to bring a red team into his regular operations to uncover security weaknesses. Red teams also require the right members in order to be effective. Red teamers are those who can think outside the box, and there are fewer of those people around than you might think. Psychologist Scott Eidelman demonstrated how we often fall victim to the tendency to assume things are fine just the way they are.

An excellent red teamer does not have this bias. Instead, they have an incredible eye for detail when it comes to working out what could be done better. Red teamers must, of course, be able to think like the enemy. CIA analyst Rodney even likens sharp red teamers to method actors capable of immersing themselves in the minds and identities of someone else.

In the case of a red teamer, they're becoming one with the enemy. Finally, organizations must ensure that red teams play an appropriate role in day to day life. Being assessed is stressful for both leaders and employees, so don't let your red team interfere with every part of the organization. Restrict them to where their expertise is needed to keep staff from feeling like they're under constant surveillance.