How to Run a Cyber Exercise Part 7 - Injects

Exercise injects are carefully crafted scenarios or events introduced into a cyber exercise to challenge participants and simulate real-world incidents. They serve as pivotal elements that drive the exercise forward, providing a dynamic and evolving environment for participants to navigate. Injects are designed to replicate the complexities, uncertainties, and time-sensitive nature of actual cybersecurity incidents, allowing participants to practice their skills, decision-making, and teamwork under realistic conditions.

Injects are not mere hypothetical situations but rather detailed and contextual descriptions of cyber incidents. They present participants with relevant information about the incident, including its background, scope, potential impact, and the actions taken thus far. Injects often mimic the various communication channels and stakeholders involved in a real incident, such as phone calls, emails, social media posts, or news articles. By using these delivery methods, injects simulate the flow of information and the challenges associated with effective communication and coordination during an incident.

Each inject is strategically designed to fulfill specific objectives within the exercise. They may prompt participants to gather further information, make critical decisions, collaborate with others, or prioritise tasks. The injects can also introduce complications or escalate the severity of the incident to test participants' ability to adapt and respond effectively. The overall aim of exercise injects is to provide a realistic and dynamic environment that challenges participants' technical, operational, and strategic capabilities in a controlled and simulated setting.

To create impactful injects, exercise planners need to consider various factors, such as the exercise objectives, the desired learning outcomes, the complexity and realism of the scenarios, and the balance between challenging and achievable tasks. By carefully designing and implementing injects that align with the exercise goals, organisers can maximise the effectiveness of the cyber exercise and enhance the participants' ability to handle real-world cybersecurity incidents.

In this article, we will explore the characteristics of injects, reasons for their use, five main consideration types, delivery methods, and additional key aspects to consider when creating injects for a cyber exercise.

Why do we have injects?

Injects serve various purposes within a cyber exercise, such as:

a) Gather: Some injects require participants to gather further information and gain a deeper understanding of the incident. This promotes discussion within the team, enabling them to analyse the problem and devise effective solutions.

b) Decide: Many exercises focus on action-oriented activities. Injects often necessitate participants to make critical decisions regarding incident management. These decisions enable the evaluation of their ability to handle the incident effectively.

c) Collaborate: Certain injects demand participants to engage in discussions, deliberate, and consult with others. This collaboration can involve internal team members, external stakeholders, or members of the simulation team, fostering effective communication and teamwork.

d) Defer: Not all injects are of equal priority. Multiple injects may be introduced in quick succession to challenge participants to prioritise and defer tasks accordingly. This exercise helps participants manage time-sensitive issues efficiently.

Inject characteristics

Injects in a cyber exercise should / could possess several key characteristics, including:

a) Point to Objectives: Injects should align with the exercise objectives and test the specific skills, knowledge, and capabilities that the organisers aim to evaluate or develop.

b) Describe the Situation: Each inject should present a realistic and detailed description of the cyber incident scenario. This description should outline the context, background, and relevant information necessary for participants to understand and assess the situation.

c) Stimulate Action: Injects should prompt participants to take action, make decisions, and respond to the evolving situation. They should create a sense of urgency and encourage proactive engagement.

d) Escalate an Issue: Injects should introduce complications or additional challenges that intensify the severity of the cyber incident. This escalation helps participants practice their ability to handle evolving and complex situations.

What should you consider when designing an inject?

When designing injects, it is important to incorporate considerations related to the following aspects:

a) Operational: The operational impact of a cyber incident on the organisation is initially the primary consideration when experiencing a cyber incident. As a consideration operational impact could include include the potential disruption of critical systems, network availability, data loss or theft, and the overall functionality of essential business processes. Participants should be challenged to develop strategies for incident containment, system restoration, and continuity of operations to mitigate the operational impact effectively.

b) Legal: Consider the legal implications of the incident, including compliance with data protection regulations, privacy laws, and reporting requirements. Injects may involve legal ramifications and require participants to make appropriate decisions within legal boundaries.

c) Reputational: Some injects can impact an organisation's reputation. Participants should be challenged to manage and mitigate reputational risks, including communication strategies, public relations, and crisis management.

d) Moral: Injects that present ethical dilemmas help participants consider the moral dimensions of their actions. These injects encourage critical thinking and decision-making based on ethical principles and values.

e) Financial: Cyber incidents often have financial implications. Injects may introduce financial considerations, such as assessing the cost of operational down time, the cot of the incident, prioritizing resource allocation, and implementing cost-effective measures.

Delivery Methods

Injects can be delivered through various means to simulate real-world communication channels. Common delivery methods include:

a) Phone: Participants may receive injects through simulated phone calls or voicemails, challenging their ability to communicate effectively and extract relevant information.

b) Email: Injects delivered via email can test participants' ability to analyse and respond to written communications while managing multiple tasks.

c) Mainstream Media Simulation: Creating mock news articles or TV/radio broadcasts allows participants to experience the impact of media coverage on public perception and organizational response.

d) Social Media Simulation: Injects delivered through simulated social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook replicate the real-time challenges of managing public sentiment and responding to misinformation.

e) Role Players: Incorporating role players who simulate specific stakeholders, such as law enforcement officers, regulators, or customers, adds realism to the exercise and challenges participants' ability to engage with different parties effectively.

Creating effective injects for cyber exercises requires careful consideration of their characteristics, the objectives they serve, the considerations they encompass, and the delivery methods employed. By designing injects that align with exercise objectives, challenge participants, and simulate real-world scenarios, cyber exercises can effectively enhance the preparedness and response capabilities of individuals and organisations in the face of cyber threats.