Red Team: How to Succeed By Thinking Like the Enemy

by Micah Zenko

Overview

Essential reading for business leaders and policymakers, an in-depth investigation of red teaming, the practice of inhabiting the perspective of potential competitors to gain a strategic advantage

Red teaming. The concept is as old as the Devil's Advocate, the eleventh-century Vatican official charged with discrediting candidates for sainthood. Today, red teams are used widely in both the public and the private sector by those seeking to better understand the interests, intentions, and capabilities of institutional rivals. In the right circumstances, red teams can yield impressive results, giving businesses an edge over their competition, poking holes in vital intelligence estimates, and troubleshooting dangerous military missions long before boots are on the ground. But not all red teams are created equal; indeed, some cause more damage than they prevent. Drawing on a fascinating range of case studies, Red Team shows not only how to create and empower red teams, but also what to do with the information they produce.

In this vivid, deeply-informed account, national security expert Micah Zenko provides the definitive book on this important strategy -- full of vital insights for decision makers of all kinds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780465073955
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	11/03/2015
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	336
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Micah Zenko is a Senior Fellow in the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations. He lives in New York.

Editorial Reviews

09/28/2015
Zenko, a security expert and fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, explains, in absorbing detail, the value of red teams, groups formed to act as devil’s advocates. While red teams are frequently used by the U.S. military, they are relatively new to the corporate world. Zenko shows just how these practices can help companies improve performance and identify failings. He advocates three specific techniques: simulations, vulnerability probes, and alternative analyses. He goes on to identify six red-teaming best practices (such as “have a big bag of tricks” and “be willing to hear bad news and act on it”). Zenko provides interesting examples of how U.S. intelligence agencies have used red-teaming, notably for topics related to homeland security. Shifting focus from the government and the military, Zenko looks at predatory competitive practices in a chapter that will hit home with every executive. From business war gaming to physical and cyber penetration testing, he shows just how vulnerable corporations are. He closes with a look at realistic outcomes and pitfalls to avoid. Armed with case studies ranging from the discovery of vulnerabilities in the Verizon network to the hunt for Osama bin Laden, Zenko offers readers much to consider and an effective way to take action. Agent: Geri Thoma, Writers House. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"An important book."—Red Team Journal


"[Zenko's] valuable analysis and advice will be of particular interest to executives, and anyone charged with strategic planning."—Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center and deputy commanding general for future at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command


"The most depressingly timely book on terrorism I read this year."—Carlos Lozada, editor of the Washington Post Book Party blog


"An excellent book.... There are few business or government officials who could not derive some insights from the wide breadth of examples Zenko exploits so effectively."—War on the Rocks

A gripping, deeply informed overview of red teaming.... Red Team is filled with harrowing stories of red-team failures but also successes in the domains of both national security and the private sector, where companies, for example, red team against hackers."—Soundview Executive Book Summaries


"An excellent book."—Booklist


"Zenko explains, in absorbing detail, the value of red teams, groups formed to act as devil's advocates.... Zenko offers readers much to consider and an effective way to take action."—Kirkus

"In today's complex world, decision makers need smart, sophisticated, and insightful options. Red Team shows policymakers and CEOs alike that the way to make the best use of your organizational talent is to break down your organization."—Jami Miscik, former Deputy Director for Intelligence, CIA

"Complacency, groupthink, inertia, tunnel vision. These are the most common after-the-fact explanations of big failures in politics, government, war, and business. In these pages Micah Zenko offers a lucid analysis backed by many fun-to-read examples of common mistakes as well as a useful compendium of best practices. Red Team is must-read for decision makers everywhere."—Moises Naim, Distinguished Fellow, Carnegie Endowment, author of The End of Power

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