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Tabletop Exercise

What is Tabletop Exercise?

A discussion-based exercise where team members walk through simulated scenarios in a classroom setting. Tabletop exercises test incident response plans, business continuity procedures, and decision-making processes without activating real systems.

Information Security

Frameworks that govern tabletop exercise

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0View framework →ISO 27001:2022View framework →

What the standards actually require on tabletop exercise

Requirements naming tabletop exercise across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

Japan FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines for Financial Institutions3 controls

Incident Response capability is critical per FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines. (1) Incident Response Plan: (a) Documented IR Plan + per FFIEC IT Examination Handbook reference; (b) ISO/IEC 27035 Information Security Incident Management;

JP-FSA-CYB-Incident-Response-Playbooks-Containment-Eradication-Recovery-Post-Mortem-Tabletop-CSIRT · Japan FSA Cybersecurity Incident Response + Playbooks + Containment + Eradication + Recovery + Post-Mortem + Tabletop Exercises + CSIRT + FSA Notification + Customer Communication + Forensics + Lessons Learned →
SANS Incident Handler's Handbook and PICERL Methodology1 control

Conduct tabletop exercises and technical drills at least annually covering realistic scenarios with internal and external stakeholders, including executive and legal participation.

PICERL-P-05 · Preparation: Tabletop Exercises and Drills →
HKMA Cyber Resilience Assessment Framework (C-RAF)2 controls

HKMA C-RAF Domain 3 PROTECTION + Domain 4 DETECTION. DOMAIN 3 PROTECTION (6 sub-areas): (1) ACCESS CONTROL - identity + access management + privileged access (PAM) + MFA + zero trust + just-in-time access + role-based access + access reviews + offboarding;

HKMA-CRAF-Domain3-4-Protection-Detection · HKMA C-RAF Domain 3 (Protection) + Domain 4 (Detection) - Access, Data, Infrastructure, Application, Monitoring, Testing, Threat Intel →
Monetary Authority of Singapore Technology Risk Management Guidelines2 controls

Implement Systems Reliability Availability and Recoverability + Data Centre Resilience per MAS TRM Chapters 7 + 8. Chapter 7 Systems Reliability + Availability + Recoverability - Recovery Time Objective (RTO) definition + testing + Recovery Point Objective (RP...

MAS-TRM-Reliability-Data-Centre-Chapters-7-8-RTO-RPO-BCP-DR-System-Availability-4-Hours-12-Months · MAS TRM Reliability + Data Centre + Chapters 7-8 + RTO + RPO + BCP + DR + System Availability 4 Hours 12 Months →
NIST Special Publication 800-34 Revision 1, Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems2 controls

Operate recovery capability aligned with FIPS 199 impact level + NIST RMF integration per NIST SP 800-34 Rev 1 Appendix F (Sample Plans per Impact Level) + Chapter 4 (Information System Contingency Plan Development).

NISTSP34-8 · Recovery Capability by Impact Level, RTO/RPO, and Integration with NIST RMF →
AWS Well-Architected Security Pillar1 control

Conduct regular game days and tabletop exercises for credential compromise, ransomware and data breach scenarios to test plans, tools and team readiness.

SEC10-BP07 · Run simulations →

Questions people ask about tabletop exercise

What is Tabletop Exercise?
A discussion-based exercise where team members walk through simulated scenarios in a classroom setting. Tabletop exercises test incident response plans, business continuity procedures, and decision-making processes without activating real systems.
Why is Tabletop Exercise important for compliance?
Tabletop Exercise is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding tabletop exercise helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Tabletop Exercise?
Tabletop Exercise appears in the requirement text of Japan FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines for Financial Institutions, SANS Incident Handler's Handbook and PICERL Methodology, HKMA Cyber Resilience Assessment Framework (C-RAF), Monetary Authority of Singapore Technology Risk Management Guidelines, NIST Special Publication 800-34 Revision 1, Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems. Across these standards we have identified 11 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Tabletop Exercise?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how tabletop exercise applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Tabletop Exercise applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

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Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.