Whether the result of a ransomware attack or more mundane challenges like losing power, unexpected outages can make for some of the most stressful days in IT professionals’ careers. From to , in 2024 have weathered both cyberattacks and outages, many of which have significantly impacted operations — even causing what is being called the “ .” These events underline the importance of not just planning for, but actually preparing and practicing for when the unexpected occurs.
When phones are ringing off the hook and alerts are flooding in isn’t when you want to start thinking about your strategy. So, let’s take a closer look at how companies can implement practices like tabletop exercises (TTXs) to reduce the risk of — and mitigate — the effects of potential threats from cybercriminals and natural disasters alike. Tabletop exercises for security planning share a lot of inspiration from tabletop role-playing games like The difference is, instead of scheming to crawl dungeons and find treasure, your team practices each of their functions in the event of a specific simulated scenario.
TTX is a structured yet low-pressure environment where participants rehearse their roles in response to, for example, a compromised email account, a service outage or a potential breach attempt during the holiday weekend. The goal is to put into action the playbooks your team has built after assessing your most likely risk scenarios and most important assets and access to protection. T.