Preparing for a cyber‑attack is now an essential part of organisational resilience, and tabletop or incident simulation exercises have become a key method for strengthening readiness.
With that in mind, here are five practical ways to maximise the value of your tabletop exercises.
Get Your Objectives Clear
Tabletop exercises should closely align with your strategic goals to maximise their value. The first step is defining clear objectives for the exercise. Whether testing responses to a specific cyber threat, evaluating the effectiveness of incident response plans, or assessing communication processes, having well-defined goals ensures a focused and productive cyber incident simulation.
Create a Realistic Scenario
The scenario development phase is critical for a successful cyber incident simulation exercise. It involves creating a realistic and challenging situation that aligns with your predefined objectives. Input from various team members is crucial to make the scenario realistic. Avoid generic off-the-shelf scenarios, as these can be confusing and disengaging.
“We often notice a shift during these sessions: the moment the scenario introduces real business impact, the conversation becomes noticeably sharper. Even fictional disruption has a way of focusing priorities.”
Get the Right People in the Room
Your organisation might have well-formed Gold, Silver and Bronze teams (or your equivalent) (see our article on the GSB response structure). Many organisations are in the process of building out these teams though, so when it comes to the exercise, selecting the right participants is vital for success. If you are in this position, make sure you invite individuals who would fulfil specific functions in a real incident. Be mindful of not overloading one team, as it can slow decision-making. General Counsel (if you have this role), HR, compliance and communications representation are key roles that should be adequately represented to ensure a comprehensive and realistic exercise.
If you’re unsure how to structure roles or participation, we have a short checklist that can help shape your next exercise, just get in touch and we’ll send it over.
Use an Experienced Facilitator
The success of a tabletop exercise hinges on effective facilitation. An experienced facilitator can guide participants through the scenario, inject additional challenges, and keep the exercise on track. Consider investing in skilled facilitators or outsourcing this role, especially for board or Crisis Management Team (CMT) / Gold team exercises. A skilled facilitator can make the difference between a constructive and even enjoyable exercise and a challenging plan walkthrough.
Capitalise on the Outcomes
Incident simulation exercises generate valuable documentation beyond exercise reports and recommendations. At a minimum, these exercises give attendees a broader understanding and appreciation of cyber risk and provide impetus and commitment to write and improve playbooks and incident response plans. Cyber risks can be hard to grasp, especially with so many departments and business areas vying for attention. Running a table top exercise can be a practical way for your senior team to “get cyber” and demonstrate “tone from the top” when it comes to improving organisational resilience.
Tabletop exercises are a significant investment in time and energy so it is vital to get the most out of the activity. By incorporating clear objectives, realistic scenarios, the right participants, experienced facilitators, and capitalising on outcomes, organisations can strengthen their preparedness against cyber threats. For more insights on cyber exercising, download our complete guide or get in touch with us.
Other articles you might be interested in:
How to Write an Effective Ransomware Playbook
How to Get Executive Approval to Run a Cyber Tabletop Exercise
Seven Examples of Tabletop Exercises You Could Run With Your Organization
