A Conversation with Red Team Expert Manit Sahib

Manit Sahib, Director of Global Intelligence and Offensive Operations at Picnic, spoke on the Phillip Wylie Show about the
importance of experience and certifications in red teaming and social
engineering. He highlighted the significance of CBEST, a framework jointly
created by Crest and the UK Central Bank, for financial regulated firms to
undergo assurance testing every three years to simulate an adversary’s attack
and test their detection and response capabilities. Manit also mentioned TCM
Academy, which is gaining traction in the industry. The conversation covered
the changing landscape of the industry, with more awareness and accessibility
to certifications such as OSCP. Manit explained the difference between pen
testing and red teaming, with the latter being a more comprehensive and
end-to-end style of testing that assesses an organization’s detection and
response capabilities. Manit emphasized the importance of testing an
organization’s security posture multiple times and simulating attacks from
advanced persistent threat groups to ensure that the organization is prepared
to isolate and contain breaches. He also shared anecdotes about the challenges
of working as an internal or external tester and the importance of building
relationships with stakeholders and technical staff. Manit emphasized the
importance of using visuals to help stakeholders understand the impact of
vulnerabilities and the value of red teaming and pen testing reports in
improving an organization’s security posture. He recommended networking,
keeping up to date with research, and practicing on red team labs to gain
experience in the field. Manit closed by sharing his YouTube channel, Red Team
Raw, where he interviews hackers and like-minded individuals about their
experience and journey in the industry. Manit also offered his help and advice
to anyone who is struggling in their career and wants to reach out to him on
LinkedIn.

Manit’s social media and YouTube:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/manitsahib/
https://twitter.com/redteamraw
https://www.youtube.com/c/RedTeamRaw

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