It’s a typical Monday morning at the office. The coffee machine’s working overtime, everyone’s getting settled, chatting about their weekend… pretty normal stuff. But in the middle of all that, there’s someone who doesn’t quite belong. Someone who’s not just here to do their job, but to see if they can get away with something. This person? A red team member, lets call them Sam. And no, they’re not going to be sitting behind a screen sending phishing emails this time. They’ve come to your office in person. Yup, you read that right.
So, how do they do it? Let’s take a stroll through the office and find out.
Blending In
First off, Sam isn’t exactly walking in with a hoodie and sunglasses like it’s some spy film. They’re a bit more subtle. Maybe they’re posing as a delivery driver—because, honestly, who questions a delivery driver? Or a “consultant” carrying a clipboard. Clipboards are magic, honestly—hold one, and people assume you know what you’re doing.
And boom—they’re in. No fuss. It’s like watching a chameleon blend into a room full of identical plants. Only, this chameleon is eyeing up the room to find weak points. Maybe they even scored a visitor badge. You know, those badges everyone assumes means, “Yep, this person’s supposed to be here, let them roam free.” Just like that, they’re wandering your office.
Access Points
Once they’ve blended in, it’s time to see just how “secure” things really are. Sure, you’ve got fancy keycard access and cameras, but… are people actually paying attention? I mean, how many times have you held the door for a colleague, not even thinking twice about it? It’s polite, right? Or maybe that door near the loading bay? Left open just long enough for someone to sneak in.
Tailgating is the name of the game here, and it works more often than people want to admit. Sam? They’re banking on someone’s good manners to slip in behind them.
Exploring the Office
Now, Sam is on the inside, doing a bit of recon. Walking around, casually eyeing up every unlocked desk, peeking at monitors, maybe even snagging a quick look at those sticky notes people love to leave on their computers with their passwords. (Seriously, people still do this.)
And don’t even get me started on unattended laptops in meeting rooms. That’s like finding buried treasure. All it takes is a couple of minutes of digging around or plugging in a dodgy USB stick, and they’ve got access to sensitive files. No need to crack any code—it’s all there, ripe for the taking.
Getting to the Heart of It
At this point, Sam is feeling pretty good. They’ve blended in, gotten past the initial barriers, and now? They’re hunting for the big stuff. Maybe it’s gaining access to the server room—nothing screams “power move” like pretending to be from IT. One polite “I’m here to check on something” and they could be planting a rogue device on the network, capturing traffic, or pulling sensitive data.
Or maybe it’s not even that complex. Maybe someone left a keycard on their desk. Even better—an admin’s keycard. Jackpot.
The Great Escape
Now that Sam has got what they came for, it’s time to make a quiet exit. No alarms, no questions, just walking right out the way they came in. Maybe they even strike up a chat with someone on the way out—why not? The goal is to leave with no one being the wiser, and by the time you realise something’s off? They’re long gone.
The Debrief – What Just Happened?
After the job’s done, the Sam will give your organisation the full report and guide of how they got in, what they found, and what they could have done if they were real attackers. It’s a bit of a shock to see it all laid out, especially when it’s stuff you thought was locked down tight. But that’s the beauty of the red team. They show you where the holes are, so you can fix them before a real attacker takes advantage.
Final Thoughts
Most people think cybersecurity is all about firewalls and passwords, but sometimes, the biggest vulnerability is just someone holding the door open for a stranger. Red team exist to test those weaknesses, not just digitally but physically too. And while it might be unsettling to think about someone walking through your office like they own the place, it’s far better to find out where your security fails with a red team than a real attacker.
Next time you hold the door for someone, maybe just ask for their ID. You never know who might be testing you.