A cyber incident hits crisis management as abruptly as the cockpit crew of an airplane in the event of an engine failure! Anyone who hesitates or acts uncoordinated in an emergency risks far more than endless downtime: The very existence of the company is at stake. What helps in such a moment is a strategic cyber defense that acts like a well-coordinated crew: with clear roles, precise communication and perfect interaction between all those involved.
This is exactly where a proven principle from aviation comes into play: Crew Resource Management (CRM) is a safety standard that was originally developed for the aircraft cockpit and also provides orientation in a cyber emergency. After all, what protects human lives in aviation can also guide companies safely through the turbulence of a cyber crisis. As a safety standard from aviation safety, this model has enormous potential for leadership and coordination, particularly in incident response management.
CRM was developed in 1979 as part of a NASA workshop following a series of aircraft accidents in which human error and uncoordinated crew communication led to disaster. The aim was to increase flight safety through targeted improvement of communication on board and to avoid conflicts of competence and decision-making weaknesses.
The cockpit competencies can be categorized into six areas:
Since the establishment of the basic CRM principles, the following has applied: it is not just technology that counts in the cockpit, but teamwork.
As the person responsible for the business continuity of your organization, you know that when a cyber attack strikes, it is precisely these skills that are required. Countless pieces of information arrive at the same time - often incomplete, sometimes contradictory. You are under enormous time pressure and work in a tense atmosphere in which every decision can have far-reaching consequences. This quickly leads to confusion, stress and wrong decisions.
Imagine this: The screens go black. Ransomware attack. State of emergency. What now? Ransomware attacks have long been part of everyday life for organizations of all sizes - and the trend is rising.
Cyber criminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods to encrypt company data and demand high ransoms. What may seem like an isolated incident is actually part of a global big business model. The actors behind these attacks are highly professional: they analyse their targets thoroughly, choose weak points with calculation and act in an organized and automated manner.
These six principles determine whether they are successful or lose control:
Those responsible for cyber security who work according to CRM principles are not only better prepared. They are characterized by decisive, coordinated and resilient action in an emergency and by confident negotiation with cyber criminals.
The Achilles heel of many organizations remains an incident response plan that exists on paper but is rarely tested in practice.
However, just as in the cockpit, the same applies to cyber defense: only those who train the crisis scenario as a team - for example through tabletop exercises, simulation scenarios and open communication - create the necessary basis of trust between all key roles, from management to the SOC team of experts.
In the crisis training sessions, security teams learn to communicate transparently, request feedback and act flexibly across hierarchical and divisional boundaries. Skills that ensure quick reactions, confident action and calm in an emergency.
Targeted phishing campaigns, insider leaks, AI-supported attacks: Current threats are dynamic, highly complex and affect companies at all times, regardless of industry or company size. What counts is not just the technical cyber defense, but how coordinated and therefore efficient your security team works together in an emergency.
This is precisely where CRM closes the critical gap: Instead of reactive ad hoc measures, the CRM model establishes a coordinated, robust response system. Clearly defined roles, structured communication and well-founded decisions ensure that CRM provides orientation in an emergency when normal structures fail. The 6 CRM principles can be learned, trained and scaled in any organization.
Structure alone does not create security. Effective implementation is crucial: appropriate to the situation, decisive and with the right resources. This is where our ISO 27001:2022-certified Cyber Defense Center combines strategic preparation with operational excellence and supports you exactly where it matters most.
With external SOC services, companies benefit in particular from three key advantages
Whether a customized Incident Response Plan (IRP), a SOC and CSIRT team available around the clock or direct access via Incident Response Retainer (IRR) - our customers benefit from a flexible, open-technology XDR architecture that integrates seamlessly into their IT environment.
Around 90 experienced SOC and CSIRT specialists support you in 24/7 live operation - day and night all year round, reliably, at your side at all times, whenever it counts.
Caption: Image generated with AI