Why Demand for Tabletop Exercises Is Growing

This article explains how cybersecurity tabletop exercises—low-tech, time-bound drills focused on discussion rather than live system impact—help organizations assess and improve incident response to threats like ransomware and phishing. Demand has surged due to compliance, board, and insurance pressures; success depends on realistic, organization-specific scenarios, separating executive and technical sessions, active facilitation to sustain engagement, and structured after-action reviews to capture lessons learned. Resources such as CISA packages and vendor threat intelligence support planning, with the overarching goal of continuous improvement, coordination across business units, and identifying gaps without risking production environments.