Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercises: From Planning to Execution

The complete start-to-finish guide for planning and delivering successful cybersecurity tabletop exercises.

Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercises, written by veteran security consultants Robert Lelewski and John Hollenberger, is an essential resource for cybersecurity professionals and anyone tasked with enhancing their organization’s incident response capabilities. This comprehensive guide to tabletop exercise planning and delivery offers practical insights, step-by-step instructions, and real-world examples to improve your team’s ability to prevent and respond to cyberattacks.

The book is divided into two main parts. In Part I: The Tabletop Exercise Process, you’ll learn:

• Why you should perform tabletop exercises and what their organizational benefits are 
• Effective planning and logistics tips, including how to gain executive sponsor support
• How to develop realistic scenarios, injects, and storyboards
• Facilitation techniques to ensure active participant engagement
• Evaluation methods and follow-up activities

The example scenarios in Part II include:

• Technical tabletops covering phishing campaigns, ransomware attacks, and zero-day vulnerabilities
• Executive-level exercises that focus on high-impact incidents
• Cross-functional cases such as physical security breaches, social media compromises, and insider threats

With examples tailored for various roles, you’ll discover how to transform tabletop exercises from a mere compliance requirement into a powerful strategic preparedness tool. Whether you’re new to tabletop exercises or an experienced practitioner, this book provides proven insights to strengthen your organization’s cyber incident response capabilities and overall security posture.