GRC · Specialist service
Crisis tabletop exercises for management and teams
A contact list alone is not enough to make sound decisions in a crisis. We practise coordination between the people responsible for business, technology, communications and security.
Service scope
Tabletop crisis exercises
Tabletop exercises are facilitated workshops based on a realistic sequence of events. A scenario may cover ransomware, an information leak, a prolonged system outage or supplier failure. Participants receive new information in stages and make decisions using available procedures. The facilitator observes information flows, dependencies and points needing clarification. The exercise tests organisational readiness without deliberately disrupting production.
A scenario tailored to the business
We select a critical process, possible disruptions and relevant suppliers. We prepare situations requiring decisions, including those made with incomplete information.
Roles and escalation
We verify crisis team activation, deputies and approval paths. We check who can restrict access or decide to suspend a service.
Communications during an event
We practise sharing information between teams and preparing stakeholder messages. We identify owners for assessing reporting obligations.
Findings and actions
We document observations, strengths and unclear assumptions. We agree tasks, owners and how improvements will be verified in the next exercise.
Project deliverables
What will your team receive?
- Scenario and participant materials.
- A record of key decisions and observations.
- A readiness report with an improvement plan.
- A list of updates to procedures and responsibilities.
Delivery conditions
What do we agree before starting?
- Participation by people with decision-making authority.
- Access to incident procedures, BCP/DRP and escalation paths.
- Agreement on objectives, participants and exercise confidentiality.
How we work
From understanding the need to verifying the result.
Designing the exercise
We review the organisation’s context and procedures. We agree which decisions and dependencies will be tested.
Facilitating the workshop
We develop the situation gradually and observe decisions. We record assumptions and missing information.
Finalising findings
We discuss the exercise with participants and assign improvement tasks. We establish criteria for the next verification.
Clear responsibilities
What is already included, and what do we extend?
A full organisational crisis exercise is a GRC extension. Basic SOC readiness tests and representative Enterprise recovery tests retain their separate, agreed operational scope.
Before making a decision
Questions about crisis tabletop exercises
Do you shut down systems during a tabletop exercise?
No. The workshop tests decisions and procedures. Technical failover or recovery tests require a separate scenario and approval for any impact on the environment.
Who should participate in the exercise?
It depends on the scenario. Management, IT, security, business and communications representatives are usually needed, with data protection and legal staff where appropriate.
Is an exercise useful before documentation is complete?
Yes. It can reveal missing roles and dependencies. In that case, the result should be interpreted as input for building readiness, rather than confirmation of a mature process.
Related expertise
Connect activities that complement each other.
The next step
Let us define a scope that makes sense for your organisation.
Let us discuss your environment, priorities and team responsibilities. We will use this to define the work, required access and service conditions.