Purple › Module 2 › Lesson 2
Methodology
Purple methodology literacy names plan-execute-measure-tune cycles, ATT&CK mapping, and coverage goals — map methodology on YOUR $PURPLE_LAB exercise plans.
Visual · t35_methodology
Purple methodology literacy. $PURPLE_LAB only. Original Cyberlium.
Opening
Exercises without methodology produce noise — literacy teaches repeatable purple cycles on scenarios you document.
Purple methodology follows plan-execute-measure-tune: plan the exercise with technique selection and success criteria, execute on authorized lab hosts, measure detection coverage and alert quality, tune rules and re-test. ATT&CK mapping labels which techniques were simulated and which detections fired. Cyberlium outlines methodology on YOUR $PURPLE_LAB — write plan-execute-measure-tune row for one fictional exercise. Next: Roles Comms.
1. Methodology phases (named)
Plan: select ATT&CK techniques, define lab hosts, set detection success criteria, document rules of engagement. Execute: run simulation on YOUR lab hosts only, capture telemetry. Measure: did rules fire? false positives? gaps? Tune: update Sigma/SIEM rules, re-test on lab hosts.
On $PURPLE_LAB, write methodology row — phase, activity, artifact for one fictional T1059 PowerShell exercise.
Command guide
Try these commands — Methodology phases (named)
═══ TOOLS & WEBSITES ═══ Browse / read these (authorized learning only — stay in YOUR lab / program scope)
MITRE ATT&CK — https://attack.mitre.org/ Sigma — https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/wiki/Rule-Creation-Guide Elastic detection — https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/rules-ui.html
═══ INSTALL ═══
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
Command — copy this
sudo apt install python3
macOS:
Command — copy this
brew install python3
Windows: Download https://python.org/downloads/
═══ LINUX / macOS ═══
Command — copy this
export PURPLE_LAB=${PURPLE_LAB:-$HOME/cyberlium-lab/t35-purple}
cat > "$PURPLE_LAB/notes/purple-methodology.md" <<'EOF'
# Purple Methodology — YOUR lab loop
1. **Plan** — select ATT&CK technique + detection hypothesis + authorized hosts
2. **Prepare** — ensure logging (4624/4625, process creation) on YOUR lab VM
3. **Simulate** — safe atomic OR tabletop + FAKE telemetry replay (preferred)
4. **Detect** — run rule against jsonl / SIEM test index — document alert fired?
5. **Tune** — reduce FP, add threshold, update Sigma stub
6. **Report** — findings backlog + coverage CSV update
NEVER: ransomware atomics; credential dump homework; stranger-network sims
EOFCommand — copy this
grep -E 'Plan|Detect|Tune|NEVER' "$PURPLE_LAB/notes/purple-methodology.md"
python3 -c "print('Purple loop: plan → simulate (safe) → detect → tune → report')"Primary tools to practice this lesson: grep, python3. Reference sites: MITRE ATT&CK (https://attack.mitre.org/); Sigma (https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/wiki/Rule-Creation-Guide); Elastic detection (https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/rules-ui.html). Run every command in the box — install first, then the usage lines — only on YOUR lab / program scope.
2. Why methodology beats one-off sims
Ad-hoc sims without measurement leave detection gaps undocumented. Repeatable cycles build coverage matrices over time. Version-controlled exercise plans let teams compare detection improvement quarter over quarter.
Students document lab methodology on notes — production cycles follow org purple charters and change control.
3. Lab boundary
Forbidden: executing sims without plan or measure phases. Allowed: methodology card — four phases with $PURPLE_LAB fictional exercise example.
Ship: methodology card for YOUR lab exercise. Next: Roles Comms.
4. What you ship: purple methodology card for $PURPLE_LAB
Plan-execute-measure-tune row with ATT&CK ID. $PURPLE_LAB named. chmod 600.
5. What you record before the next lesson
Date. Methodology card. $PURPLE_LAB named. File t35-m02-l02-methodology.txt chmod 600.
6. Wrong vs right: stranger networks vs YOUR purple lab
Worked failure — same MSF word, opposite target. Right never needs a café Wi-Fi or classmate laptop.
Wrong
Run sim without success criteria. Skip measure phase because 'we got alerts.'
Right
Write methodology card for YOUR $PURPLE_LAB. Next: Roles Comms.
Mission: document purple methodology on YOUR lab
1) Define plan, execute, measure, tune in one sentence each. 2) Write methodology row for one ATT&CK technique. 3) Name detection success criteria. 4) chmod 600.
Stuck? Ask Cyberlium AI Mentor
Measure before tune — know which rules failed before you rewrite them.
Knowledge Check
APPLY: Purple methodology primarily follows:
Multiple choice
Knowledge Check
APPLY: True or False: Measure phase evaluates whether detections fired and identifies gaps.
True or False
Knowledge Check
APPLY: Methodology literacy on Cyberlium uses:
Multiple choice