When people talk about cybersecurity, the conversation often jumps straight to tools, threats, and technology. But one thing many organizations still overlook is the simple act of practicing. A cyber drill might look like a small exercise on the surface, but it’s usually the moment that shows you how prepared your team truly is.
Cyber incidents don’t wait for anyone. They don’t respect weekends, public holidays, or office hours. And when they happen, everybody is expected to act quickly. A good drill helps you see how your team communicates, who takes the lead, where confusion begins, and where your processes are weaker than you assumed.
Below are some practical tips for running a cyber drill that actually makes a difference.
Start With a Scenario That Feels Real
A drill becomes meaningful when people can picture the situation happening in their own environment. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Even a simple case like a suspicious fund transfer, a ransomware note, or an employee reporting a strange email is enough to get people thinking clearly.
The point is to pick something your organization could realistically face. When the scenario feels too fictional, people detach. When it feels familiar, they engage.
Bring the Right People Into the Room
A cyber drill is strongest when it goes beyond the IT or security team.
In a real incident, other groups have roles too. Legal, HR, communications, leadership, finance. If these teams aren’t part of the drill, then you’re not testing your actual readiness.
Everyone needs to understand what their responsibility would be if there is an incident.
Make Roles Clear Before You Begin
One common issue during drills is that people hesitate because they aren’t sure who should be making decisions. Someone needs to manage the incident, someone needs to handle the technical details, someone needs to communicate with leadership, and someone needs to manage external messaging.
You don’t have to overcomplicate it. Just make sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to do and what decisions they’re allowed to make. That alone improves response time dramatically.
Pay Attention to Communication
During many drills, the biggest problems come from communication gaps. For example:
- People are not sure which channel to use.
- They forget to escalate updates on time.
- The contact list is outdated.
- No one is tracking decisions clearly.
A drill helps you see these issues early. It’s better to find out now that something is wrong than during an actual crisis.
Don’t Aim for Perfection
A drill is not a test to pass or fail. It’s a rehearsal.
People should feel free to ask questions, clarify their thoughts, and admit when they’re unsure. The more openly they think through the scenario, the more your team learns. You don’t want silence; you want reasoning. You want people talking, challenging, and supporting each other.
The value comes from the discussion, not from trying to “look good.”
Document What Happens
Someone should quietly take notes while the drill is going on. Document:
- Where people struggled
- Decisions that took too long
- Steps that were skipped
- What worked smoothly
- Any confusion about roles or processes
Good documentation makes the next drill better. It also helps you refine your incident response plan in a practical way.
Have an Honest Debrief
After the drill, gather everyone and talk through what happened.
Not to blame anyone but to understand. A simple conversation can reveal things like:
- “We didn’t know who to call.”
- “We missed this step.”
- “This approval took too long.”
- “We need better tooling for this part.”
These reflections are where the real improvement happens.
Update Your Plans Based on What You Learned
A drill should not end with a meeting. It should end with action.
If something came up during the exercise, an outdated contact list, a slow escalation path, unclear responsibilities, or missing documentation, fix it. Update your incident response plan, your policies, your templates, your playbooks, or your tools.
A drill without follow-up is just a conversation.
Do It Often Enough to Stay Ready
Cyber threats evolve, and so do your systems and people. A one-time drill is not enough. You don’t need a dramatic simulation every month. Even a short 10-minute discussion at the start of a meeting can help. Small, frequent practice sessions keeps your team sharp.
And once in a while, it’s good to run a full, detailed exercise without giving anyone advance notice. It shows you the truth of your readiness.
Final Thoughts
Cyber drills are one of the simplest ways to strengthen your organization’s resilience, yet many teams still overlook them. A good drill builds confidence, exposes gaps early, and encourages a culture where everyone understands their role in protecting the organization.
At the end of the day, the best way to prepare people is to practice before the real crisis shows up.