8 Reasons Cyber Range Simulation Is Vital to Incident Response
Do you really have an airtight incident response (IR) against a cyber-attack? Do you know how your team and your playbook will perform under extreme pressure?
Almost 50% of companies and organizations with an IR playbook do not test it regularly, and most companies do not even have a response plan against a cyber-attack. This is why cyber range technology is vital in helping you strengthen your defenses against any threat. With a cyber range experience, you get training that is almost impossible to duplicate in a classroom simulation or exercise.
Your team needs to be prepared to respond efficiently to an attack and you need to know how they will perform under pressure. These are some reasons why cyber range simulations are a vital way to test your IR playbook:
1. You get performance-based information
A run through a cyber range will provide access to real-time data, which is a huge advantage over exercises and simulations done through more traditional means. This information can be used to create a response plan and improve team performance.
2. Guidance from experts
You can test your team against industry experts with years of experience in these kinds of situations. This gives you the opportunity to measure your organization against industry-leaders.
3. Real-life learning
Most cyber security experts know that graduates are not well prepared to deal with cyber security threats as soon as they enter the industry. A simulation in the range is an excellent opportunity to give them some invaluable experience with no real repercussions.
4. Test possible team members
A cyber range simulation can be a good way of assessing potential hires and identifying potential candidates who come from a different background.
5. Put new ideas to the test
Before putting new technologies in use in your security system, a cyber range scenario gives you the change to see how they would perform in the real-world. This eliminates most of the risk that comes with testing new resources in real life.
6. Train all your staff
An IR playbook does only involve cyber security specialists. Other departments of your company, such as legal, finance, communications, or human resources are surely involved. A cyber range software simulation can provide a good training opportunity for non-technical personnel to experience an attack first-hand.
7. Practice your strategy
Undoubtedly, one of the main benefits of a simulation such as this one is to put your IR plan to the test. This is the best way to understand what you need to improve, what changes need to be made, and how the team responds in case of an attack. It is also a good way to build muscle memory, so that the first thing your team does is to pull out the playbook.
8. Improve teamwork
Cyber range experiences can bring to light some important facts about your team. Your plan will be useless if you team can’t work in a collaborative way.
Team culture and cohesion will have an influence on how the team performs under pressure.