We hear a lot about cybersecurity being everyone’s responsibility, but to what extent? You usually expect your employees to be trained to recognize typical cyber threats, such as phishing. “Don’t click on suspicious emails.” “Never download the attachment from an unknown sender.” These are common guidelines for most workplaces. But when it comes to being part of a cybersecurity crisis management team, that sounds like IT’s job, right? Well, the situation can be much more ambiguous than expected. In a crisis, your entire organization is impacted, not just the technical team. That’s why it’s crucial to involve all the relevant teams which will part of the crisis management. In that way, when a real crisis hits, everyone needs to know what their role is. The potential to exacerbate or contain a crisis While your IT team may be trained in incident response, isolating a breach, or mitigating malware, your non-IT staff may often lack the right level of preparation. A misstep by an uninformed non-IT employee during a cyber incident can easily exacerbate the problem. For instance, a PR team that discloses incorrect information about a breach might worsen a public relations disaster. Similarly, unaware of a fraud attempt, a finance team member might mistakenly approve a fraudulent wire transfer after the system has been contaminated. In 2017, a credit bureau suffered a massive data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million individuals, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, and addresses. Delay in public disclosure caused public outrage. When the company finally did inform consumers, they directed them to a website that was separate from the main website, confusing users and making them wary of phishing attempts. The mismanagement of communications led to widespread criticism, lawsuits, and a significant drop in consumer trust. A lot has changed in the last decade, but vigilance and training are key in the world of cybersecurity and incident management. This is why training the right teams through crisis simulations can help contain incidents. If they know the correct protocol, non-IT staff can act swiftly to limit the impact of the attack and work closely with IT teams to mitigate the issue. Expanding the crisis simulation team A crisis simulation that only involves the IT department doesn’t reflect real-world conditions, but whom should you involve to better prepare? You will find below a non-exhaustive table highlighting some key non-IT departments that play critical roles during a cybersecurity crisis. This can give you an idea of the areas that should be tested. Department Key responsibilities to be tested Executive Leadership Authorize key decisions such as public disclosures or temporary shutdowns Human resources Handle the aftermath of employee data breaches, including notification and support Finance Ensure continuity of financial operations during a crisis Legal and compliance Ensure compliance with data breach notification laws and minimize legal liabilities through proper incident management Internal Communication Communicate transparently with employees and provide guidance on the secure steps to follow Public relations Communicate transparently with customers, partners, and the media during a breach You are now aware of all the key teams to involve in this simulation project. Making crisis simulation work for you Now, a well-executed crisis simulation is your organization’s best defense against the unexpected. This is why you should ensure your simulations are not only realistic but also effective. Here are some recommendations to help you craft a successful crisis simulation, so your non-IT team responds effectively when it matters the most: Define clear objectives: Whether it’s testing communication protocols or evaluating decision-making processes, clear objectives set the stage for a focused exercise. Simulate realistic scenarios tailored for each department: To help your participants fully engage, they need to clearly understand the stakes through realistic challenges. Define roles and responsibilities clearly: Clarity is crucial during a crisis. Clearly outline who is responsible for what during the simulation. This promotes accountability and ensures everyone knows their tasks. Do a post-simulation debriefing: After the simulation concludes, hold a debriefing session to discuss successes, challenges, and areas for improvement. Document the lessons learned: This documentation serves as a valuable resource for continuous improvement. Moreover, your teams will be able to refer to it when a true crisis occurs. Read and use the document published by your cybersecurity state department: This local documentation has been written by cyber crisis management experts and will provide you with the right set of tools to leverage. Ready for anything: Expectations vs Reality Anticipation is always key when it comes to cybersecurity. True, a cyber crisis may eventually hit your organization. Being prepared will not just mean having a plan, but also having a unified, confident team ready to tackle challenges head-on. You don’t want an underprepared team to panic under pressure. By investing in these initiatives, cybersecurity crisis simulations will not be just exercises but opportunities for all your departments to build resilience and strengthen teamwork.