What is a Cyber Recovery Wargame?

Introduction 

A cyber recovery wargame is a full-scale simulated exercise that tests an organisation’s ability to respond to and recover from a cyber attack.  

Originating from military wargaming – where leaders rehearse battlefield scenarios to improve strategy – cyber wargames apply the same principles to crisis leadership and resilience. They bring together technical and business leaders to work through complex cyber crisis scenarios as a team. 

Unlike standard tabletop exercises, cyber recovery wargames are heavyweight, highly immersive crisis scenarios that play out over several hours, often diving deep into both technical and operational aspects of crisis management and recovery.  

As participants navigate the challenges of an evolving crisis scenario, they have to determine in real-time how they will manage disruption, communicate with stakeholders and restore operations. 

Wargames are designed to test resilience strategies, highlight best practices, and help teams develop the instincts and experience needed to act decisively during a real cyber attack. 

Key benefits  

Cyber wargaming is about proving your cyber resilience before a real-world attack puts it to the test. The top benefits are: 

1. Improve cyber incident response and recovery. 

Rehearse and refine end-to-end response in a controlled environment. 

2. Identify weaknesses and blind spots. 

Expose gaps in your current plans, systems and decision-making. 

3. Build leadership confidence. 

Prepare senior leadership to act decisively in worst-case scenarios.  

4. Learn directly from frontline experts. 

Gain insights not just from facilitators, but through collaborating and debating with peers. 

What challenges can be explored in a wargame? 

Cyber recovery wargames allow you to explore each phase of crisis response through the lens of key roles across your organisation. Scenarios can be tailored to explore

• Business continuity 

• Crisis management 

• Crisis communications (internal and external) 

• Misinformation management 

• Technical response 

• Reputation management 

• Compliance and regulation 

What makes a wargame impactful?  

No two wargames are the same, but the most effective ones share four common traits: 

 1. Realism and immersion 

A strong scenario is key. The more realistic and detailed the narrative, the more participants engage, and the more scope there is for them to explore angles and outcomes that go beyond the script and mirror real-world complexity.

Immersive elements like breaking news bulletins, simulated inboxes – or even deepfake media – bring the scenario to life and heighten the pressure. 

 2. Interactivity 

Live polling, branching scenarios and role-specific challenges help keep everyone involved and invested. Attendees must collaborate, debate and adapt as the situation evolves. 

 3. Open participation 

A cyber recovery wargame typically brings together resilience leaders from a range of different sectors or departments. Much of the value comes from open discussion – debating different perspectives and learning from the expertise in the room. 

 4. Practical takeaways 

Each wargame should end with a structured debrief to turn insights into actions. Participants walk away with a clearer understanding of gaps, next steps and strategies to improve cyber resilience. 

Conclusion 

Cyber recovery wargames are one of the most effective tools for building cyber resilience

By recreating the conditions of a real attack in a fully immersive, yet controlled environment, they help organisations rehearse recovery, expose weaknesses and build the confidence and capability needed to respond to future incidents. Just as importantly, they’re also among the most engaging and dynamic ways to develop resilience – bringing teams together in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment that’s both challenging and genuinely enjoyable. 

Databarracks Cyber Recovery Wargames 

At Databarracks, we run multiple cyber recovery wargames each year.

These are hands-on, expert-led sessions for resilience professionals to test their instincts and share insights with peers from a wide range of sectors.  

Past events 

At the Tate Modern in London and the Imperial War Museum in Manchester, attendees navigated the complex fall-out of a cyber attack on the fictional “Heathwickstead Airport.” 

At the Barbican Centre in London, we explored an AI-powered ransomware campaign targeting a global theme park franchise – and the misinformation crisis that followed. 

Attendee feedback: 

• “The wargame was a great mental exercise. It made us realise we need to do more of these internally. It was great chatting to the experts, and the space at the Barbican was fantastic.”
   

• “The thing I found most useful from the wargame was how it put into perspective the complexity of dealing with a crisis. It was a good reminder of the importance of planning.”
   

• “The scenario revealed how organisations have different approaches in place for facing the same challenges. It was very interesting discussing those different thoughts and approaches with peers.”  

Please register online if you’re interested in attending our upcoming Leeds or Glasgow Cyber Recovery Wargame events.