Deciding under pressure
Time is short and information incomplete, just like in real life. But without the damage.
Tabletop · Incident management
Cyber incident tabletop exercise
A dress rehearsal of a cyberattack, around a table: decisions, roles and communication, before they are really needed.
What a tabletop exercise is
It is a discussion-based simulation, not a technical one: no system is touched. The people who would have to decide during an incident sit at the same table and work through it together, step by step.
Everyone in their own role
Technical staff, management, legal and communications: different priorities around the same table.
The plan gets better
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 lists exercises among the sources of improvement (ID.IM-02).
Source: NIST, The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0, 26/02/2024.
180 days in the shadows
It is our tabletop exercise: about 3 hours in person, 15-20 people at 3-4 tables, based on the ENISA incident management life cycle.
The incident grows
Round after round the situation changes. Time is short, and so are resources.
You leave with a plan
A checklist and a concrete decision, with a name and a deadline.
And then, in the tool
Incidents, notification deadlines and critical processes are kept in order with the Companions for incidents and the BIA. Plan tests, tabletop ones included, are recorded with the actions they lead to in the Continuity & Recovery Companion, coming soon.
All the details are on the 180 days in the shadows workshop page.
Frequently asked questions
Who should take part?
Mixed teams: IT, management, legal and communications. The value lies precisely in putting different priorities around the same table.
Do you need technical knowledge?
No: it is a discussion-based simulation. It’s about decisions, roles and communication, not commands.
How long does it last?
About 3 hours, in person, for 15-20 people split into 3-4 tables.
Can it be adapted to our organisation?
Yes: format and length are adapted to your organisation.
Want to run the dress rehearsal with your team?
Ask for dates and format
Download the workshop sheet (PDF in Italian)
Or write to us: info@pensierosicuronetwork.it. The form is in Italian: feel free to write in English.
The 180 days in the shadows workshop · Incident Companion · Service catalogue
PensieroSicuro Network SrlVia Bagutta 13, 20121 Milano (MI), Italy
+39 320 0170071
info@pensierosicuronetwork.it