Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercises

One of the most effective ways an organization can prepare for cybersecurity incidents and test out their response processes are 'tabletop exercises,' commonly used to discuss various actions in a hypothetical emergency. Veteran security consultants Robert Lelewski and John Hollenberger have run hundreds of such exercises, and they've now boiled down their vast experience planning these mission-critical events into the Tabletop Exercises handbook. Designed to take you from start to finish, the book's chapters are arranged linearly - from management's initial request to after-action review activities - empowering you to understand each and every necessary step for ensuring your tabletop is a true success. You'll see how to design a scenario that properly evaluates your team's existing controls, pinpoints your weaknesses, and encourages collaboration. You'll also examine the logistics of planning the event itself, develop effective facilitation skills, and explore ways of making process changes based on the tabletop's outcomes. Along the way, you'll learn: who to invite to your tabletop event, and why; preparatory steps, like getting an executive sponsor and forming a development team; how to properly create a realistic tabletop exercise scenario; facilitation strategies, such as audience interaction and managing the discussion. This essential soup-to-nuts resource also includes example scenarios geared at varying audiences at different levels - including infosec analysts, tech team members, non-technical employees, and executives - that you can easily adapt for your own organization depending on the goals of your tabletop.

"A must-read for anyone involved in cybersecurity incident response. It expertly covers all aspects of conducting tabletop exercises, from scenario development to delivery to evaluation, providing practical advice and examples. Get ready to design and execute impactful tabletop exercises with the help of this book!"—Jeffrey J. Carpenter, FIRST Incident Response Hall of Fame inductee "Lelewski and Hollenberger offer a masterclass in cybersecurity preparedness, covering every facet of incident response planning with meticulous detail and practical insights. Their focus on engaging an executive audience is particularly noteworthy, shedding light on the critical role that C-level executives and cross-functional leaders play in managing cybersecurity incidents. Tabletop Exercises'sets a new standard in the field and is essential reading for any organizations aiming to enhance their cybersecurity readiness.”—Brian Nesgoda, CIO/CISO, Black Swan Technologies"Rob and John clearly guide readers on how to design and get the most value out of a tabletop exercise rather than it just being another compliance requirement. They will not steer you wrong!"—Troy M. Bettencourt, Global Partner & Head of IBM X-Force"Whether you are brand new to the concept of tabletops or a seasoned professional, this book empowers both individuals and teams to learn and improve on the planning, development and facilitation of these critical cyber exercises. Tabletop Exercises leads readers right from the design stage through to delivery, feedback gathering and even gaining organisational buy-in, with a variety of fabulous example scenarios and injects that many teams could simply pick up and run with! This should be on the bookshelf of any cyber professional who takes their tabletops seriously."—Rebecca Taylor, Threat Intelligence Knowledge Manager @ Secureworks“This book is a great resource for anyone looking to start or enhance their cyber simulation exercise capability. The practical insights, examples and step-by-step instructions can be immediately applied, helping readers to effectively test and evaluate a team’s ability to respond to a cyber incident. Good Stuff!"—Anthony Giandomenico, Global VP, FortiGuard Security Consulting

Robert Lelewski has more than 20 years of experience in IT, cybersecurity, incident response, and risk management. He is the VP of cybersecurity strategy at Zurich Insurance’s Global Ventures and holds numerous industry certifications, including CISA, CISM, CRISC, CIPM, and CDPSE.John Hollenberger is a seasoned cybersecurity consultant with over 16 years of experience in web and host-based vulnerability assessments, incident response, digital forensics, and data loss prevention. He is a senior security consultant of proactive services at Fortinet, with certifications that include CISSP, GCIH, GWAPT, and Security+.