How do you make your incident response scenarios more challenging?

In my experience, I find it very valuable to vary the persons playing roles in the shore based response team. People travel, take leave or may just be unavailable, therefore it's good if you have a team of people who are familiar/disciplined with various emergency response roles and can be switched in/out depending on actual circumstances. Also a perfect opportunity for less experienced members of the office team to practice, learn, make mistakes and improve in a training environment.

For a ship shore drill, we ( HSEQ team ) used to develop the scenario and it would be only discussed with that vessels Master a day prior in confidence. The Master would then initiate the Drill ( onboard and ashore ) and the Vessel Management Team ashore would not know what scenario to expect. It used to get very interesting when the Master would voluntarily add a twist to the scenario !

To elevate the challenge of your security simulations, diversify the attack vectors and techniques. Incorporate a range of threats—phishing, ransomware, DDoS, insider threats, and APTs—using varied methods and tools. This approach compels your team to adapt swiftly, broaden their skill set, and apply a range of defensive measures. By presenting them with different scenarios, you ensure that they are well-prepared for real-world complexities, enhancing their ability to respond effectively under diverse and evolving threat conditions.

Always make the incident scenario as real life as possible. Maintain a list of possible types of incidents and see if they can be used in conjunction - example - steering gear loss leading to a ship to ship collision leading to a oil in the water pollution incident. Rotate the incidents types ( in a logical order ) so that the same scenario does not get repeated. Such cases happen in real life and we should be ready for the worst case possibilities.

Utilize production-like data, network setups, applications, and devices, or deploy a sandbox that replicates your live infrastructure. This approach ensures that exercises are not only relevant but also immersive, allowing your team to confront real-world challenges. By reflecting your actual operational landscape, you facilitate more accurate identification of gaps and vulnerabilities, leading to more effective and targeted improvements in your security posture.

I recommend getting privacy officers, legal and compliance from your organization involved early, if you need to confirm information around reporting requirements for different scenarios. You should be crafting variations of the scenarios at the level of records and data type (for example FTI) that would require different constraints and deadlines. For example, in the state government I work for, certain levels of leadership within the state need engaged at certain setpoints based on number of people involved in an unauthorized disclosure of information and whether it is classified as a breach legally. This also impacts requirements around notification and press releases. If you always do an easy path incident test, you'll be unprepared.

Implement deadlines, restrict resources, or simulate external pressures like media scrutiny and legal concerns to mirror the urgency of real incidents. These elements test your team's ability to prioritize effectively, communicate clearly, and collaborate under stress. By creating a high-pressure environment, you help your team build resilience, improve decision-making skills, and better prepare for the complexities and uncertainties of actual security incidents.

Involve all stakeholders. While the shipboard and ashore teams for that vessel conduct the 'drill'...also invite - the vessel owners, vessels charterers, new joiners/Superintendents in the office, Senior ship staff on leave, etc. This ensures they all understand how an actual emergency unfolds, how it is managed and in the end have a better understanding of the incident response process.

Take out the first or second-in-charge, or another key member, soon after the start of the exercise. Then see how s/he had prepared their team for such an eventuality.

There is no substitute for practical challenge. You can instruct an individual in say the personal department not to discuss those involved in an incident, but by actually phoning them at their desk during a drill and pretending to be a family member, or a client threatening to take business away, you put them under pressure. People are naturally helpful and cooperative and the likelihood is that on the first occasion the training won't be followed and too much information will be provided. This is a good thing, discuss it in the de-brief, that individual will go away thinking about how they could have handled it better, playing the conversation over and next time they'll have the internal tools to handle the challenge more competently.

MGN 71 - Dust it down and become better acquainted. Ensure all crew are aware of the crew member above them on the Muster List, and their emergency roles. Drill, Drill and Drill again as real time as possible. Table tops are the exception and not the norm.