What activity is being conducted when a cybersecurity manager holds meetings to discuss hypothetical responses to cyberattacks?

The activity of holding meetings to discuss hypothetical responses to cyberattacks is referred to as conducting a tabletop exercise. In this scenario, participants, often including stakeholders from various departments, engage in a guided discussion of potential cyber incident scenarios. The focus is on evaluating and improving the organization's response plans, communication strategies, and team readiness in an interactive and collaborative environment.

This exercise typically involves walking through the steps of an incident response plan without actual implementation, allowing participants to explore their roles during a cyber event and identify gaps in their response strategies. The primary objective is to foster better preparedness and coordination while allowing teams to address uncertainties about how they would react in real-world situations.

In contrast, developing an incident response plan involves creating protocols and procedures intended to follow during an incident rather than simulating a response. Building a disaster recovery plan focuses on restoring operations and data after a disruption, while running a simulation exercise often entails a more hands-on approach with real-time procedures and technology to test actual responses instead of discussing theoretical scenarios.