This White Paper aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the development process of cyber exercise technical scenarios, grounded in real-life use cases. It sets forth a joint understanding and approach to cyber exercise methodologies among European cyber exercise service providers. The document offers an in-depth guidance to cyber exercise types, scenario development processes, and customisation techniques to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of each exercise. Readers should also refer to other documents that also contribute to a shared understanding and practical guides on how to develop different types of cyber exercises such as Tabletops, national exercises, and various other open source and academic contributions, etc.

Cyber exercises play a crucial role in preparing organisations to face the dynamic threats in today’s cybersecurity landscape. These exercises simulate real-world scenarios, allowing participants to test and refine their skills, processes, and technologies in a controlled environment. They enable organisations to assess their preparedness, identify weaknesses, and improve their cybersecurity posture. By conducting regular cyber exercises, organisations can better anticipate, detect, and respond to cyber threats and minimise the potential impact of an actual attack.

While this publication describes the importance of cyber exercises as an overall approach, it is important to highlight that cyber exercises are a collection of multiple elements into one coherent activity. The different elements can provide value on their own, like a technical scenario for training purposes.

The target audience for this White Paper includes cybersecurity professionals, organisations seeking to enhance their security posture, cyber exercise service providers, education, and training institutions, along with stakeholders responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating cyber exercises. Additionally, this guide will be beneficial for decision-makers who seek to understand the value of conducting cyber exercises and the role they play in strengthening an organisation’s cybersecurity defences.