The ins and outs of threat emulation

Traditional security testing often provides only a static snapshot of an organization’s defenses, relying primarily on hypothetical scenarios and vulnerability scanners to identify potential weaknesses. While these methods offer some value, they often fall short in simulating the dynamic and evolving tactics employed by real-world adversaries.

Threat emulation, on the other hand, takes a realistic approach to assessing an organization’s security posture. This advanced testing methodology goes beyond identifying vulnerabilities to evaluate the effectiveness of an organization’s overall defense strategy. By emulating attacker behaviors, security teams can prioritize mitigation efforts, optimize resource allocation, and make more informed decisions about cybersecurity investments. In essence, threat emulation empowers organizations to close the gap between their current security posture and the level of protection required to thwart modern cyberattacks.

Achieving a threat-informed defense

Threat emulation is a core component of threat-informed defense, a proactive cybersecurity strategy focused on helping security teams prepare for the threats that matter most, and on developing granular visibility into their security program’s effectiveness. Unlike static vulnerability scans, threat emulation actively mimics attacker behaviors to expose vulnerabilities and potential exploitation paths. This provides a comprehensive view of an organization’s security posture, akin to a cybersecurity audit focused on attacker tactics.

By emulating real-world attacker techniques, including those…