Cyber Drills Across Continents: A Global Snapshot from Zurich, Dallas, and Toronto

Imagine defending against a major cyberattack while standing in the shadow of football history. That's exactly what the Immersive Labs community did last month, coming together on two continents – from Zurich's historic FIFA Museum to the bustling business districts of Dallas and Toronto – to face a common enemy: cyber threats. Our team, GwynD , JamieKnobles , CourtneyGuss , and DanPotter, successfully facilitated three cyber drills across three countries, proving that our community is ready for anything.

Kicking off in Zurich: A drill at the FIFA Museum

Our journey started in Zurich at the FIFA Museum, where Gwyndaf and Dan ran the Cyber Drill with Popp AG. Amid the buzz of an impending Germany-Switzerland World Cup final, technical teams and leaders raced to resolve a disruption to Orchid Corp's point-of-sale services. Attendees were challenged to investigate the cyber incident, identify culprits, and manage reputational damage during this critical event. 

Across the Atlantic: Drills in Dallas and Toronto

After conquering the challenges in Zurich, we hopped across the Atlantic for two more action-packed drills.

First stop: Dallas, Texas, where we joined forces with Stratascale. Next, we headed north to Toronto, with our partners at Accenture leading the charge. While both cities faced threats against Orchid Corp, a leading Certificate Authority, the resulting discussions and overall response were far from cookie-cutter.

In both cities, quick thinking and close communication were crucial, as teams worked to manage technical threats while handling public relations and preserving customer trust. The drills highlighted the vital link between technical skills and strategic leadership in navigating complex cyber threats.

In each drill, leaders and technical experts collaborated under high pressure, making quick, strategic decisions to neutralize threats to Orchid Corp and trace their sources to prevent future incidents. These drills echoed the real-world context where accurate threat attribution can be as crucial as mitigation, shaping the resilience of any organization against cyberattacks.

The drills sparked dynamic discussions across all locations. In Zurich, participants grappled with the complexities of regulatory reporting during a major cyberattack. Dallas attendees dove deep into the role of cyber insurance and incident response planning. Toronto highlighted the challenges of managing incidents when crucial technical information is missing.

Interestingly, discussions around incident classification revealed that differing roles and responsibilities within an organization can lead to varying interpretations of the same event, highlighting the need for clear guidelines and training.

Strengthening our global cyber community

This whirlwind tour wasn't just about putting out fires; it was an opportunity to learn, grow, and strengthen our global community. Each drill provided valuable insights, from fostering effective communication among stakeholders to emphasizing the importance of coordinated efforts between leadership and tech teams.

A huge thank you to all the teams who participated in Zurich, Dallas, and Toronto! It was a fantastic week of learning, growth, and collaboration. As we gather our thoughts and analyze the outcomes, we're already looking forward to planning the next round of Immersive Cyber Drills. Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming events where we'll continue to sharpen our cyber skills, ensure best practices, and build a more resilient global community.