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If you read the news, you know it’s not news at all that cyber attacks are increasing in number and complexity every day. Organizations around the world recognize this fact and are working to improve their cyber resilience to protect critical assets.
A key component of cyber resilience is a solid owner Response plans for cyber incidents, playbooks and strategies for responding to existing events. But an even more critical element is rehearsing and testing these papers with cyber attack simulation exercises.
But what is a cyber attack simulation exercise? How do you behave like this in your organization? What exactly is checked and how? And how do you make sure you reap the full benefits of running a cyber attack simulation exercise?
In this blog, our cyber security experts answer all these questions and more.
- What is a cyber attack simulation exercise?
- How do you conduct a cyber attack simulation exercise?
- Why is a cyber attack simulation exercise important?
What is a cyber attack simulation exercise?
The cyber attack simulation exercise is known by several different names today. Cyber Drill, Cyber Attack Board Drill, Cyber Security Table Drill and Table Response Drill.
All of these monikers actually refer to the same exercise—a simulated attack that replicates real-life scenarios to test an organization’s incident response and preparedness plans. The hacking and attack simulation also checks cyber threat vulnerabilities and threat factors to some extent. In addition, it checks the readiness of the security team to deal with a potential cyber attack.
An expert facilitator simulates a cyber attack and the corporate Incident Response (IR) team responds to it as if it were a real-world attack.
The core objectives of a cyber attack simulation exercise can be summarized as follows:
- Assess the organization’s readiness to defend against a cyber attack.
- Identify security gaps and loopholes in the current incident response plan.
- To test how knowledgeable the IR team members are about the programs and their individual roles and responsibilities.
- To help stakeholders better understand the type of impact certain cyber attack scenarios can have on their business.
- Improve the team’s current ability to respond to a cyber attack.
- Help the team build muscle memory when it comes to incident response plans and processes.
- Improve the organization’s security position comprehensively.
What actually happens in a tabletop exercise with event response?
Some of the most common cyber attack drill scenarios are:
- Phishing messages
- Ransomware attacks
- Malware attacks
- Social engineering attacks
- Compromise in business email
- Internal attacks
The facilitator works with one or two representatives from the client side to decide on the scenario to be replayed during the attack simulation exercise. During the actual workshop, the scenario is built and an atmosphere of real panic and chaos is created. The idea is to put pressure on the participants to think and behave as they would in an actual event.
The tableau exercise then focuses on discussing the simulated attack scenario with relevant stakeholders, such as IT staff, management and other teams involved in the incident response plan.
Post the exercise, the facilitator shares his observations of how the team responded to the attack. They also help the team see current gaps in their incident response plans and provide feedback on how well participants understood their roles and responsibilities.
Why are cyber simulation exercises so important?
The benefits of a cyber attack simulation exercise are many. Here is a quick look at the most important of them:
- This allows an organization to identify weaknesses in its incident response plan and take corrective actions to improve its overall security posture. Very often, the organization may find that its incident response plans are not appropriate or relevant to the current threat landscape. They can then update their plan with recommendations from the facilitator.
In many cases, the organization may find that they do not have the internal capacity to sufficiently update their IR programs. They may then choose to use external cyber security experts like ours Cyber virtual assistants. These are deeply experienced Cyber security consultants which can help you thoroughly review your existing cybersecurity documents and update them in the most cost-effective and flexible way available.
In conclusion, a cyber attack simulation exercise is an essential component of an organization’s cyber security strategy.
This allows an organization to effectively review its incident response plan, identify gaps, and take corrective actions to improve its security posture.
These exercises also help the organization develop a culture of security awareness and achieve compliance with regulatory requirements. By conducting regular cyber attack simulation exercises, organizations can improve their ability to respond to cyber attacks and protect themselves from potential threats.
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