Beyond TTX: Cyber Threat Simulations for Strategic Resilience

Just imagine: Monday morning, 06:00. The IT infrastructure suddenly behaves unusually. Several systems are unavailable, email traffic collapses, VPN connections break down or stall. At the same time, the helpdesk reports: "The system is slow - or completely gone."

Have you been attacked? Perhaps. But it could also be a realistic staging that simulates an emergency: A cyber-threat simulation under controlled conditions that encompasses all roles. A real gain in knowledge!

Simulation instead of TTX: how central roles train for emergencies

A cyber threat simulation is a realistic, but usually non-technical cyber crisis exercise that goes far beyond a simple tabletop exercise (TTX).

The focus of a discussion-based simulation is on the actual operational decision-making processes, communication and coordination at all levels of the organization - it goes far beyond a discussion round and document review.

Representatives from various areas of the company - from IT, management and communication to security, operations management and legal, right through to partners, suppliers and service providers - play out their roles and act out a complex threat scenario together. This reveals how the organization reacts to a complex cyber threat.

Trial by fire for cyber defense: learning from an emergency

In one of our most recent simulations, a multi-stage attack scenario was played out:

• 06:00 (simulated): An employee unsuspectingly clicks on a link in a phishing email, shortly afterwards malware is active without being noticed.
• 09:00: Alleged attackers move through the internal network, collect authorizations and attack sensitive systems.
• 10:00: While the IT team is suddenly battling a DDoS attack on the external infrastructure, a targeted data exfiltration takes place in the background.

The situation escalates - and that's exactly the point! After all, things can go wrong in the exercise, but never in a real cyber threat! After all, the key statement for a positive error culture applies: "Failure is allowed, but only in the simulation."

What worked in crisis mode:

• Roles and escalation paths were partially known and utilized.
• The technical assessment of the situation worked, at least at department level.
• There was active communication - even under pressure.

Pain points that became visible in crisis mode:

• It was unclear who exactly approved external communication.
• Decisions were sometimes delayed or made too late.
• The parallel processing of several threat situations (DDoS + data exfiltration) overwhelmed many of those involved.
• OT and other specialist departments were involved too late.

What was learned:

Decision-making channels, communication structures and cooperation between teams must be optimized, and understanding and collaboration must be intensified.

Cyber simulation: these 6 roles determine resilience and crisis management

In an emergency, policies fall short. Only a realistic simulation shows that resilience must go far beyond technical protective measures.

A practical simulation highlights the following six roles:

• IT: Detection alone is not enough - reaction counts
• Management: practising decisions under uncertainty
• Communication: Who talks to whom - and when?
• Operations: Critically scrutinize processes before a fire breaks out
• Partners & suppliers: Understanding external collaboration and dependencies
• Legal & compliance: Adhering to legal and regulatory requirements

Simulate without risk instead of losing control in the data center

A well thought-out cyber threat stress test makes it visible:

• Where there are silos and gaps.
• Where documents exist but are not known to everyone.
• Where people improvise or freeze under pressure.

This is precisely why the training is worthwhile! It is a trial run for an emergency: those who practice regularly are prepared for a crisis situation.

Simulations are therefore not a nice-to-have, but a fundamental prerequisite for resilience. They apply to all organizations - whether large companies or SMEs - with digital core processes, customer data, critical infrastructure or high reputational risk.

The announced stress test shows:

• Where preparation pays off.
• Where optimization is urgently needed.
• In which areas real resilience already exists.

Are you thinking about what a cyber crisis exercise could look like for your company? Then start with a simple question: "Who in our company knows what to do - if suddenly nobody understands what's going on?".

If you cannot answer this question clearly, now is the right time to prepare a simulation together with experienced experts.

This is why cyber threat simulations with InfoGuard make sense

A strategically well thought-out simulation is far more than just a compulsory exercise. It is a central lever for resilience and real cyber security against the worst-case scenario.

Why are simulations beneficial?

• Simulations strengthen the resilience of your team,
• uncover weaknesses in crisis management and
• promote joint, solution-oriented action.

Strengthen your company's resilience and promote an open error culture.

Benefit from Tabletop Exercises (TTX) and develop tried-and-tested strategies and processes - from strategic crisis organization to operational recovery.

Whether for the crisis team, the technical IT emergency organization or as part of a management workshop: Prepare your company for real-life crisis scenarios. Contact us, our tabletop specialists are there for you.

Image caption: Image generated with AI