Tabletop exercises are invaluable when it comes to assessing your organization’s readiness for cyber incidents.
Think of them as fire drills—but for cyber threats. These exercises bring together key teams, testing not only their technical responses but also their coordination, decision-making, and communication during stressful situations. If done right, they uncover gaps, improve workflows, and bolster your overall incident response capabilities. But as with anything, there’s a right and wrong way to approach these exercises.
Planning a successful tabletop exercise should involve more than just gathering people in a room and running through scenarios. There are four critical areas where organizations tend to make mistakes, and avoiding these pitfalls will ensure the exercise has a real impact:
– Setting clear objectives
– Creating realistic and relevant scenarios
– Focusing on engaging delivery
– Establishing a remediation plan to address findings
Let’s dive into each common mistake and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: No Forethought on the Exercise Objectives
One of the biggest missteps is jumping into a tabletop exercise without fully considering the objectives. Imagine trying to run a marathon without knowing where the finish line is—it’s exhausting and aimless. The same logic applies here. Without clear objectives, it becomes hard to gauge success or understand where your team needs to improve.
What should you be aiming for? Well, your objectives will depend on what areas of your incident response plan (IRP) you want to test. But here are a few solid examples to get you thinking:
– Assessing Communication Protocols: How effectively does your team communicate during a crisis? This includes both internal communications (e.g., between security, IT, and leadership) and external ones (such as informing customers, regulators, or third-party partners).
– Testing Incident Detection and Response: When a simulated cyber-attack hits, how quickly can your team detect it? How do they respond? Are they able to isolate the attack and mitigate its impact effectively?
– Evaluating Decision-Making Processes: During high-pressure incidents, decisions need to be made fast and correctly. Are the right people involved in those decisions? Are their actions effective and well-coordinated?
Failing to define objectives leads to vague takeaways and missed opportunities for improvement. Think of your objectives as the compass guiding your exercise—without them, you’re just wandering aimlessly.
Mistake #2: Not Enough Relatable Detail in the Scenario
Creating a compelling scenario is an art. The most effective exercises are those that feel realistic and directly related to your organization’s unique risks. A generic, cookie-cutter scenario will fall flat. Why? Because your team won’t see the relevance, and they won’t be fully engaged in the process.
To avoid this, research how a cyber incident could actually unfold within your specific environment. Work with trusted individuals who understand the business and its key assets, but who can help craft scenarios without revealing too much in advance. Here are some key questions to consider when creating your scenario:
- What are our most critical assets that a cyber-attack could target? This could be customer data, intellectual property, or even key operational systems.
- How would a cyber incident affect our daily operations and customer interactions? For example, if your network went down, how long could you function without access to it? What’s the ripple effect on customer service or sales?
- What are the potential entry points for a cyber-attack within our organization? Think about vulnerabilities in your systems, from unpatched software to poorly secured third-party vendors.
- How prepared are our technical teams to respond to different types of cyber threats? Are they familiar with the latest ransomware tactics or phishing methods? Do they have the right tools at their disposal?
By building a scenario that resonates with your team’s daily operations, you’ll increase engagement and ensure the exercise feels like more than just a theoretical exercise.
Related: PreparedEx Podcast – Enhancing Crisis Preparedness with Realistic Tabletop Exercises
Mistake #3: Poor Delivery of the Exercise
Even the best-designed exercise can flop if it’s not delivered effectively. The facilitator or exercise lead plays a pivotal role here. It’s not just about walking participants through the motions—it’s about creating a productive environment where everyone feels comfortable participating, asking questions, and learning.
One of the most common issues is a delivery that’s too rigid or mechanical. Remember, this exercise should feel like a safe space to explore potential issues and solutions, not a high-stakes test. The best facilitators are those who demonstrate emotional intelligence (EQ)—they’re able to read the room, adapt to the group’s needs, and engage participants without dominating the conversation.
Also, documenting issues as they arise is key. Often, the facilitator is too caught up in running the session to capture every detail. To avoid this, designate someone specifically for documentation. That way, every problem, suggestion, or action item is recorded for review later.
Mistake #4: Lack of Remediation Planning
Completing the exercise is only half the battle. The true value comes afterward, during the remediation phase. If you’re not committed to an honest appraisal of what went wrong and a plan to fix it, the exercise loses much of its value.
Create a remediation plan roadmap that outlines specific actions to close the gaps identified during the exercise. This roadmap should include:
- Specific actions that need to be taken
- Timelines for when these actions should be completed
- Responsible parties for each action
Treat this roadmap like any other critical project within your organization. Assign owners, follow up regularly, and adjust as necessary to ensure your incident response plan evolves and improves based on the findings.
Summary
Tabletop exercises are a powerful tool for honing your organization’s incident response capabilities, but only if they’re done right. Avoiding these common mistakes—such as failing to set clear objectives, using generic scenarios, poor delivery, and neglecting remediation—will lead to more meaningful, productive exercises. These sessions shouldn’t feel like “just another checkbox”—they should be an opportunity for real growth and preparedness.
By being thoughtful and deliberate in how you approach these exercises, you’ll be better equipped to handle real-world cyber incidents when they arise.