CREST-Accredited Purple Team Exercises and Detection Engineering for UK Businesses
Purple teaming is collaborative; red team operators work alongside your blue team to test detection coverage technique-by-technique against MITRE ATT&CK. Each tactic is executed, the SOC checks for detection, gaps are remediated live, then re-tested. The output is a quantified detection-coverage heatmap and a backlog of tested SIEM rules.
- Unlimited retesting
- Unlimited pre-retesting
- No hidden fees
“I would highly recommend EJN Labs to any organisation seeking reliable, detailed, and well-managed penetration testing services, particularly for government or enterprise-level projects.”
Imran SaghirProject Lead, SquareOne“There wasn’t another company we could find that could deliver what we needed in the timeframe we needed. The client loved it, and we got instant ROI from the engagement.”
Dan WilcocksonCo-Founder, Celloriis the average MITRE ATT&CK technique coverage for UK SOCs. Purple teaming systematically lifts coverage to 60-80%.
Red team finds gaps. Blue team builds defences. Purple team closes the loop.
A red team engagement might find that your SOC missed a Kerberoasting attack. The findings go in a report. Six months later, you don’t know if that detection was actually built, or if it was built but never validated. Most “remediated” red-team findings have no SIEM rule, no test case, and no automated regression.
Purple teaming closes the loop. Red operators execute MITRE ATT&CK techniques live. Your blue team checks detection (or absence of detection). Detection engineering builds new SIEM rules in real time. Red operators re-execute to validate. The output is a quantified MITRE ATT&CK coverage heatmap, a backlog of tested SIEM rules, and a documented detection engineering process.
Reports satisfy ISO 27001 A.16 incident management, SOC 2 CC7.4 detection criteria, and FCA Operational Resilience evidence.
PURPLE TEAM COVERAGE
What Purple Teaming Covers
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise tactics tested technique-by-technique. Detection-engineering output baked into your SIEM.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
Technique-by-technique testing across all 14 Enterprise tactics. Each technique: red executes, blue detects (or not), engineer remediates, red re-validates.
SIEM Rule Validation
Existing SIEM rule efficacy testing. False-positive rate measurement. Detection latency benchmark. Coverage gap identification.
SIEM Rule Engineering
New SIEM rule creation for uncovered techniques. Sigma rule, Splunk SPL, KQL (Sentinel), Elastic ES|QL. Each rule pre-tested against red-team execution.
SOC Playbook Validation
Existing SOC runbooks tested against live red-team activity. Triage process, escalation cascade, communication quality measured.
EDR Detection Tuning
EDR product tuning (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Defender for Endpoint, Carbon Black). Detection rule coverage validation.
Threat Hunting Hypotheses
Hypothesis-driven threat hunting practice. Hypotheses derived from sector-specific threat actor TTPs. Hunt queries built and validated.
SOAR Automation
SOAR playbook validation, automated response action testing, false-positive rate measurement under live red-team execution.
Atomic Red Team Integration
Atomic Red Team framework integrated. Reusable tests for ongoing detection regression.
Initial Access Coverage
Detection coverage for phishing, exposed-service exploitation, valid-account abuse, supply-chain compromise.
Lateral Movement
AD attack detection (Kerberoasting, AS-REP, BloodHound, Pass-the-Hash). PsExec, WMI, WinRM detection coverage.
Exfiltration Detection
DLP rule validation, egress-traffic anomaly detection, cloud-API exfiltration coverage, alternative-protocol abuse.
Detection Coverage Heatmap
Quantified MITRE ATT&CK Navigator heatmap output. Coverage % per tactic. Gap-prioritised backlog for ongoing engineering.
METHODOLOGY
Purple Team: From Coverage Gap to Validated SIEM Rule
Live red+blue collaboration. Each technique tested, gap identified, rule built, rule validated. Repeatable process you can re-run quarterly.
Coverage Baseline
Existing detection-coverage assessment via MITRE ATT&CK Navigator, SIEM-rule inventory, EDR-policy review, SOC runbook walkthrough.
Live Testing
Red operators execute MITRE techniques live. Blue team checks detection. Detection engineer documents gaps in real time.
Detection Engineering
Sigma / SPL / KQL rule creation for uncovered techniques. Atomic Red Team integration for regression testing. Tuning of existing rules to reduce false positives.
Re-validation & Heatmap
Red operators re-execute each remediated technique. Coverage heatmap generated. Backlog of remaining gaps prioritised for ongoing engineering.
CREDENTIALS
Verified Accreditations Auditors Accept
Every credential below is independently verifiable. UK procurement teams, FCA supervisors, ISO 27001 / SOC 2 auditors, and cyber insurance underwriters all recognise these standards.
GET YOUR QUOTE
Get a fixed Purple Team quote in 24 hours
A fixed-price quote back in one business day, from a named CREST assessor. No sales pipeline, no chasing.
- CREST and IASME accredited. Testing your auditors and clients already recognise.
- Fast-track testing within 24 hours where required. Free retest of every fix included.
- Live findings via your client portal, not a four-week PDF.
- Fixed price from £3,500 for a single-role, single-app scope, agreed up front. Most engagements run £5,000 and up. No day-rate surprises.
Dan WilcocksonCo-Founder, CelloriUnder NDA Further named references available on a scoping call.
- We reply within one business day with a fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
- You approve the scope and we book a start date, usually within 24 hours.
- Live findings land in your client portal as we test, with a free retest of every fix.
Get your fixed Purple Team quote in 24 hours
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COMPLIANCE READY
Purple Team Reports Mapped to Every Framework
Detection-engineering evidence accepted across compliance frameworks where SOC capability is a control requirement.
ISO 27001 A.16
Information security incident management evidence; purple-team validates detection capability against documented attack patterns.
SOC 2 Type II
CC7.4 detection criteria evidence. CC7.5 response activities evidence. Trust Services Criteria coverage measured against MITRE ATT&CK.
FCA / PRA Operational Resilience
Severe-but-plausible scenario evidence for SOC detection capability. Particularly important for Important Business Service threat awareness.
NIS2 + DORA
Essential services and financial entities; SOC capability evidence is part of operational resilience. DORA requires regular testing of ICT tools and systems under Article 25, and threat-led penetration testing under Article 26 for entities identified by their competent authority.
NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework
CAF capability evidence for B4 (security monitoring) and B5 (proactive security event discovery).
MITRE ATT&CK Navigator
Direct heatmap output ready for ongoing detection-engineering programmes and MITRE ATT&CK coverage reporting.
PRICING
Transparent Purple Teaming Pricing
All engagements include the same depth of red+blue collaboration. Price varies by coverage breadth: number of MITRE ATT&CK techniques, SIEM / EDR estate, and whether it is a one-off exercise or a continuous programme.
Depends on app complexity
Single tactic or focused MITRE ATT&CK coverage area. SIEM rule validation plus targeted detection engineering. Typically 1-2 week engagement.
Get a fixed quoteDepends on app complexity
Full MITRE ATT&CK coverage across all 14 Enterprise tactics. SIEM + EDR validation, rule engineering, heatmap output. Typically 3-4 week engagement.
Get a fixed quoteDepends on app complexity
Ongoing quarterly purple-team programme with 1-week sprints per quarter. Re-runnable heatmap and measurable SOC capability uplift over time.
Get a fixed quoteBY SECTOR
Purple Teaming for Your Sector
Detection priorities vary by sector; different threat actors mean different MITRE ATT&CK techniques to prioritise.
Fintech & FCA-Regulated
FCA-regulated firms, Open Banking, payment APIs, PCI scoping.
Fintech sector pageSaaS Companies
Multi-tenant isolation, SSO/SAML/OIDC, customer-data perimeter, SOC 2 evidence.
SaaS sector pageLaw Firms
NHS DSPT, NHS DTAC, EHR integration, telehealth, patient-data PII.
Law firm sector pageHealthcare
FCA / PRA Operational Resilience, claims data, broker integrations, cyber underwriting evidence.
Healthcare sector pageInsurance
Privileged-data confidentiality, partner-tier scrutiny, SRA Cyber Standard alignment.
Insurance sector pagePublic Sector
CCS / G-Cloud framework, NCSC-aligned, SC-cleared testers available.
Public sector pageWHY EJN LABS
What You Actually Get
What distinguishes our purple-team service from automated scans and box-tick competitors.
What You Get From Purple Teaming
MITRE ATT&CK coverage heatmap, validated SIEM rules, SOC playbook tested, detection-engineering process documented, quarterly-re-runnable framework.
Live Red+Blue Collaboration
Red operators execute, blue team detects (or not), detection engineer remediates, re-test on the same engagement. No 6-month report-to-fix-to-validate gap.
MITRE ATT&CK Heatmap Output
Quantified coverage % per tactic, gap-prioritised backlog, MITRE ATT&CK Navigator JSON exports for ongoing programme tracking.
Reusable Detection Engineering
Sigma rules, Splunk SPL, KQL queries, Atomic Red Team tests, all documented and reusable for quarterly regression.
UK CREST + IASME + ISO 27001 + ISO 9001
Independently accredited. UK-based purple-team operators. Reports accepted by FCA, NCSC, ISO auditors, and cyber insurers.
Continuous, Re-Runnable Coverage
Many clients build a continuous purple-team programme that re-tests the heatmap every quarter, for measurable SOC capability uplift over time.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
What is purple teaming?
Purple teaming is a collaborative red-team / blue-team exercise. Red operators execute MITRE ATT&CK techniques live; the blue team checks detection; detection engineering builds new SIEM rules in real time; red operators re-execute to validate. The output is a quantified MITRE ATT&CK coverage heatmap and a backlog of tested SIEM rules.
How is purple teaming different from red teaming?
Red teaming is adversarial; operators try to achieve a goal undetected. Purple teaming is collaborative; operators announce each technique, blue team measures detection, detection engineers fix gaps live. Purple uplifts SOC capability systematically; red validates the resulting capability.
How long does a purple-team exercise take?
Focused exercise (single tactic): 1-2 weeks. Full MITRE ATT&CK coverage: 3-4 weeks. Continuous quarterly programme: ongoing with 1-week sprints per quarter. Test duration is determined during scoping based on coverage breadth.
How much does purple teaming cost in the UK?
Focused exercise £10,000-£20,000. Full coverage (most commonly commissioned) £20,000-£40,000. Continuous programme £40,000+. UK day rates for CREST + detection-engineering specialists are £1,100-£1,400 per day.
What output do you produce?
MITRE ATT&CK coverage heatmap (Navigator JSON), validated SIEM rule pack (Sigma + SPL/KQL), Atomic Red Team test backlog, SOC playbook gap analysis, quantified detection-coverage report, executive briefing.
Do you test against our SIEM?
Yes. Major SIEMs supported: Splunk Enterprise / ES, Microsoft Sentinel, Elastic Security, IBM QRadar, ArcSight, Sumo Logic, Chronicle, Devo. Custom rule formats produced for your platform. Existing rule efficacy validated.
Do you test against our EDR?
Yes. EDR products supported: CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Carbon Black, Cybereason, Trellix, ESET PROTECT. Detection-rule coverage validated against live red-team execution.
Can purple teaming integrate with our existing SOC playbooks?
Yes. We test existing playbooks against live red-team activity, measuring triage process, escalation cascade, communication quality, and detection latency. Output identifies playbook gaps and enables documented improvements.
Is the output reusable for ongoing detection engineering?
Yes. All output (Sigma rules, SPL/KQL queries, Atomic Red Team tests) is reusable for quarterly regression. Many clients build a continuous purple-team programme that re-tests the heatmap every quarter, measurable SOC capability uplift over time.
Is purple teaming acceptable for ISO 27001 A.16 audit?
Yes. ISO 27001 A.16 (Information security incident management) requires demonstrable detection capability. Purple-team output (coverage heatmap, validated SIEM rules, runbook gaps) provides direct evidence ISO auditors accept.
Are your operators UK-based?
Yes. UK-based red operators and detection engineers. SC-cleared operators available for public-sector engagements. Where on-site SOC integration is required, M25 next-business-day on-site available.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes. Standard NDA before any SIEM rule or detection capability discussion. We operate under a project-specific master agreement that includes detection-rule IP protection and post-engagement data destruction.
20+ CREST-accredited testing services in one place
Web, mobile, API, cloud, AI, infrastructure, red team. Pick the test that fits your environment.
Get a fixed Purple Team quote in 24 hours
A CREST-certified detection-engineering specialist will contact you within one business day with a fixed price, a realistic timeline, and the named consultant. No sales pipeline.
