So You Want To Get Into Red Teaming: Skills, Mindset, and Myths

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Presented at BSides Bristol 2026 by

Chris Pritchard

Red teaming is often portrayed as a niche, ultra-advanced discipline reserved only for experts with deep exploit-development skills and expensive toolsets. In reality, effective red teaming is built on fundamentals: understanding enterprise environments, thinking in attack paths, communicating clearly, working within realistic constraints and problem solving. This talk is designed for people who want to enter the field and need a practical view of what red teaming actually involves, what skills matter most at the start, and which common myths can slow progress and distract you from real goals. I’ll separate hype from reality, outline the core technical and non-technical skills that make a strong red teamer, and offer concrete ways to begin building experience constructively and effectively.