Security Incident Tabletop Exercise Training
A one-day facilitated learning exercise for managers and cross-functional response teams. Participants receive staged updates about a fictional incident, decide what the organisation should do and review the reasoning together. The workshop uses discussion and prepared materials, without attacking or changing live systems.
Who should attend: Management, incident coordinators, IT liaison staff, DPOs, HR, communications and operational decision-makers. No prior cybersecurity qualification is required.
HRD Corp claim support available
Programme Focus
This is a learning workshop using a fictional scenario. The separate incident-response planning service can assess and develop organisation-specific plans and exercises; technical forensics training addresses investigation skills.
Programme Agenda
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Objectives, Roles and Ground Rules
Agree learning objectives, scenario boundaries and decision roles. Explain how to distinguish an exercise message from a real incident and how observations will be recorded without attributing blame.
10:00 AM to 10:15 AM
Break
10:15 AM to 11:30 AM
Scenario Round 1: The First Alert
A fictional alert raises questions about an essential service. Decide who needs to know, which facts are missing and who may approve an initial response. Record assumptions and the next information request.
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Scenario Round 2: Operations and Information at Risk
New information suggests a wider impact. Discuss authorised containment proposals, service dependencies and potential personal data exposure. Record trade-offs and the owners of specialist assessments.
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Lunch
1:30 PM to 2:45 PM
Scenario Round 3: Management and Communications
Respond to fictional customer and management questions. Draft a holding statement, choose its approver and assess whether escalation paths and contact arrangements work under time pressure.
2:45 PM to 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Recovery Decisions and Debrief
Agree conditions for resuming essential work, then compare the team's decisions with the exercise objectives. Identify missing authority, unclear procedures and dependencies that need follow-up.
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Practical Exercise: Turn Observations Into Actions
Produce a short after-action record with evidence from the discussion, an owner for each improvement, a target date and a recheck method. Prioritise a small set of changes for the organisation's own plan.
Key Outcomes
- Practise cross-functional incident decisions
- Record assumptions and authority clearly
- Prepare approved communications
- Convert exercise observations into accountable actions
Training Mode Physical / Online / Hybrid
HRD Corp Subject to programme eligibility and HRD Corp approval
Level Fundamentals / Beginner. No prior cybersecurity experience required.
Duration 1 Day | 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (6.5 learning hours, excluding breaks)
Venue In-house at the client's premises, or delivered via the client's preferred platform (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or equivalent)
Assessment Observed team decisions, structured debrief and an owned after-action improvement register
Certificate Orbix Certificate of Completion upon full attendance; not a professional certification
Malaysia Relevance
Scenarios reflect Malaysian business services and internal reporting arrangements. Applicable legal and regulator questions are referred to the designated specialists; the exercise does not contact authorities or submit real notifications.
Practical Takeaways
An exercise decision log, draft holding statement and prioritised after-action improvement register.
Download a sample practice worksheet (TXT). This fictional exercise is a preview of the learning approach. About Orbix; contact us to confirm the facilitator and relevant experience for your delivery.
Course Completion and Next Steps
This facilitated fundamentals exercise is not a penetration test, certification, compliance audit or proof that a real incident response will succeed. The Certificate of Completion records attendance. Organisation-specific validation and improvement remain the participants' responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Fundamentals Training
Incident Response Planning Service. Incident Response & Digital Forensics. View all fundamentals programmes
Reference material: CISA: Tabletop Exercise Packages. NIST: SP 800-61 Revision 3, incident response.