Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the purpose and value of cyber exercises and range simulations.

  • Design and conduct tabletop exercises and technical drills.

  • Conduct cross-border coordination exercises.

  • Recognise the role of exercises in continuous improvement.

7.1 The Purpose of Cyber Exercises

Cyber exercises are essential for testing incident response capabilities. The FSB’s framework identifies proactive tools, such as tabletop exercises, tests and drills . The G7 Cyber Expert Group conducts cross-border coordination exercises to strengthen the collective ability of authorities to respond to cyber incidents .

Key Benefits:

  • Testing Plans: Testing the effectiveness of incident response plans.

  • Building Capability: Building the skills and confidence of incident response teams.

  • Identifying Gaps: Identifying weaknesses in plans, processes, and capabilities.

  • Improving Coordination: Improving coordination between departments and stakeholders.

7.2 Tabletop Exercises and Technical Drills

Tabletop exercises are discussion-based exercises where participants walk through a scenario to test their understanding of roles and responsibilities. The FSB’s framework identifies proactive tools, such as tabletop exercises, tests and drills .

Key Elements:

  • Scenario Development: Developing realistic scenarios.

  • Participant Involvement: Involving stakeholders from across the organisation.

  • Facilitation: Facilitating the exercise.

  • Evaluation: Evaluating the exercise.

  • Improvement: Implementing improvements based on lessons learned.

7.3 Cross-Border Coordination Exercises

The G7 Cyber Expert Group conducts cross-border coordination exercises (CBCE) to strengthen the collective ability of authorities to respond to cyber incidents . The 2026 exercise simulated a large-scale cyber-attack across all G7 jurisdictions, bringing together ministries of finance, central banks, bank supervisors, and market authorities . The G7 adopted a long-term exercise strategy to increase the frequency and consistency of these simulations .

7.4 The ECB’s TITUS Exercise

The ECB’s TITUS crisis communication exercise involved the 24 central banks of the European Union, the SIPS (EURO1, STEP2-T, CORE(FR)), 29 banks, CLS, and the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as observers . More than 300 staff members and technical experts from all participating institutions were involved in this exercise . The exercise enabled the Eurosystem to evaluate its preparedness to carry out, effectively, its operational and oversight responsibilities during crisis events .

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