This guide helps you determine whether your organization is ready to get value from advanced, organization-level testing such as assumed breach exercises, attack simulations, or red teaming. It focuses on readiness to absorb outcomes, not on technical sophistication alone.
How organizations typically get this wrong
Treating advanced testing as a more aggressive form of penetration testing. Expecting clean, system-specific findings from organization-level exercises. Running simulations without defined decision authority or escalation paths. Focusing on individual mistakes instead of systemic patterns. Assuming readiness based on tooling coverage alone.
How penetration testing fits
Penetration testing evaluates specific systems or applications within a defined scope. It is best used when the goal is to validate technical controls or identify exploitable weaknesses.
How attack simulations and red teaming differ
These approaches test how the organization responds to realistic attack paths that span people, process, and technology. The emphasis is on exposure and response, not individual findings.
Choosing the right approach
The right choice depends on readiness, clarity of ownership, and how results will be used. In many cases, starting smaller produces more useful outcomes.