Red Team vs. Blue Team vs. Purple Team: How are they Different?

Introduction

Cybersecurity is confusing—we know. So, when cybersecurity firms like ours use terms like red, blue, and purple teaming, it can be difficult to understand.

In this article, we will explore exactly what these terms mean, how they’re different and, of course, why they’re helpful for you and your business.

Let’s break it down.

What is Red Teaming?

Red teaming consists of ethical hackers or penetration testers who simulate real-world cyberattacks—for simplicity, the red team are the attackers. 

Their primary goal is to uncover vulnerabilities in a business’s systems, processes, or infrastructures by thinking and acting like cybercriminals. 

Then, they must successfully break in, often by any means necessary (e.g., phishing campaigns, exploiting technical vulnerabilities, physical break-ins), to access sensitive information. 

Importantly, they are trying to do this without being detected (otherwise, it wouldn’t be an overly realistic exercise).

This aims to help the business better understand where its defences are weakest and what steps must be taken to fortify them.

Check out our complete guide to red teaming for a more comprehensive breakdown.

What is Blue Teaming?

The blue team are the defenders in all of this. They protect a business’s assets by proactively monitoring and responding to security threats. 

A few key things to mention:

1. Usually, the blue team consists of a business’s real-life IT and physical security.
2. The blue team usually does not know they are being tested in a red team engagement. Blue teams must believe this attack is genuine and respond appropriately to maintain realism (otherwise, the test would not accurately reflect a cybersecurity team’s readiness and incident response plan).

So, while red teams simulate attacks, blue teams detect and mitigate them in real time. Their efforts ensure that businesses can respond quickly and effectively to cyber incidents. 

What is Purple Teaming?

Purple teaming bridges the gap between red and blue teaming. In purple team engagements, the attackers (red team) and defenders (blue team) collaborate. 

While they are still likely to work in isolation (after all, red teams are usually third-party ethical hackers), both teams share their insights and strategies.

This will improve the blue team’s ability to detect and respond to specific attack scenarios and create a continuous feedback loop for refining offensive and defensive capabilities.

By combining the strengths of both teams in a structured and cooperative manner, you get a unique insight into your business’s cybersecurity posture. 

Key Differences Between Red, Purple and Blue Teaming

Why Are These Roles Important?

Each role serves a distinct purpose in building a resilient cybersecurity strategy.

Red teaming helps businesses understand how attackers think, exposing gaps in their security that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Blue teaming ensures defences are robust and responsive, minimising the impact of any potential breaches. 

Purple teaming fosters collaboration, turning insights from simulated attacks into actionable improvements for long-term security.

Integrating these practices into your business’s cybersecurity framework can help you identify vulnerabilities, improve detection capabilities, and create a culture of continuous improvement.

Conclusion

To wrap things up, red teams attack, blue teams defend, and in purple team engagements, everyone works together. 

Additionally, red teams don’t want to be detected, and blue teams don’t know it’s a test unless it’s a purple team engagement, in which case they work in isolation but collaborate. 

This means red team engagements mimic real-life attacks as closely as possible, whilst purple team engagements do not.

Combining offensive, defensive and collaborative strategies provides the best chance of staying ahead of cybercriminals.