How to Run a Tabletop Exercise for Cybersecurity Preparedness
Fail to Prepare
Prepare to Fail
Tabletop Exercise Cybersecurity
In cybersecurity, failing to prepare often means preparing to fail. A tabletop exercise is a powerful, low-cost way to test your incident response plans, improve team coordination, and expose gaps in your procedures — all without a live attack.
What is a Tabletop Exercise in Cybersecurity?
A tabletop exercise (TTX) is a discussion-based simulation of a cybersecurity incident. Participants — typically key decision-makers, IT staff, legal, communications, and executives — walk through a hypothetical cyber event, responding as if it were real.
These exercises are designed to:
- Validate existing plans and policies
- Build situational awareness
- Strengthen cross-functional communication
- Uncover weaknesses in technical and business processes
In Australia, tabletop exercises are a recommended control under the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)’s Essential Eight Maturity Model and are used by agencies governed under APRA CPS 234.
Benefits of Tabletop Exercises
- No system disruption: These simulations don’t touch live systems.
- Customisable scenarios: Tailor scenarios to your industry, size, and risk profile.
- Promotes team readiness: Clarifies roles, escalation paths, and interdepartmental dependencies.
- Supports compliance: Demonstrates due diligence and risk preparedness to regulators.
The OAIC recommends regular security training and simulation exercises as part of an effective data breach response plan.
How to Run a Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise
1. Set Your Objectives
Define what you want to test — e.g. communication flow, technical response, compliance reporting, or executive decision-making.
2. Choose a Scenario
Select a realistic cyber incident, such as:
- Ransomware attack
- Data exfiltration
- Business email compromise
- Insider threat
- Cloud misconfiguration breach
3. Identify Participants
Include:
- IT and cybersecurity teams
- Executive leadership
- Legal and compliance
- Communications/PR
- Operations/business unit leads
4. Develop the Script
Build a narrative that unfolds in stages:
- Initial breach discovery
- Escalation
- Public/media involvement
- Regulator notification
- Incident containment
Include injects like:
- Unexpected system outages
- Board enquiries
- Staff confusion
- Conflicting information
5. Facilitate the Session
Assign a moderator and timekeeper. Encourage participants to:
- Verbalise their decisions
- Refer to actual plans/policies
- Take notes on friction points
6. Debrief and Document
Conduct a structured review:
- What worked?
- What failed?
- What should change?
Create an after-action report and feed insights back into your incident response plan.
Frequency and Best Practice
Run exercises at least annually, or:
- When onboarding new leadership
- After a major system change
- Following an incident
Rotate scenarios to ensure coverage of both technical and strategic response layers.
Final Thoughts
A tabletop exercise is one of the most effective — and accessible — ways to improve your cybersecurity readiness. It turns abstract policies into real-time decisions and transforms teams into well-drilled response units.
Better to rehearse now than fumble later.