Red Team

A red team conducts authorised adversary-simulation exercises against an organisation's defences, emulating the tactics, techniques, and procedures of realistic threat actors to stress-test detection and response. Telecom red teaming covers IT estate, signalling interconnect, RAN management, and 5G core, and is typically scoped against frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK and FiGHT.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkCore NetworkRoaming and Interconnect

Red Team in context

The radio access network is the layer where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations, downgrade attacks and jamming, and defenses hinge on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

The mobile core is where subscriber sessions, mobility and policy live. In 4G it is the EPC (MME, HSS, S/PGW); in 5G it is the Service-Based Architecture with AMF, SMF, UPF, AUSF, UDM and the NRF. Core exposure is the difference between a single-subscriber leak and a fleet-wide breach.

To place Red Team in the wider telecom-security picture, review Threat Intelligence, Risk Assessment, MITRE FiGHT, Grey Routing, Machine Learning (ML) and Telecom Attack Surface Mapping.

Related terms

Related topic hubs

  • Roaming Security IPX/GRX interconnect risk, home-routed vs local-breakout, SEPP.
  • Telecom Red Team Red-team engagements against MNO/MVNO networks.
  • 5G Security 5G SBA, SEPP, SUCI, 5G-AKA, N32 and service-based interface security.
  • 5G NEF Security Network Exposure Function security in the 5G core.

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.