Decisions made in the first hours of a crisis can shape shareholder confidence, customer trust, brand reputation, and long-term resilience. Even more important are decisions made before a crisis. Planning and preparation are essential for a swift response and speedy recovery.
However, without regular practice, even the best-prepared teams can falter under the pressure of a real-world cyber incident.
As a facilitator of cyber crisis tabletop exercises, Semperis Strategic Advisor and former bp CISO Simon Hodgkinson has been at the intersection of strategy, psychology, and operational readiness. He leads large enterprise organizations in tabletop simulations that are more than technical rehearsals. They are strategic sessions designed to challenge leadership thinking and bridge the gap between the cyber security team, operational leaders, and stakeholders.
What’s inside
This article—originally published by the Canadian Cybersecurity Network in its 2026 State of Cybersecurity in Canada report—provides a firsthand perspective on facilitating tabletop exercises, drawing on real-world experience across sectors. It outlines strategic outcomes, facilitation techniques, and common challenges with the aim of helping executive teams understand the value of simulation-based preparedness and the role of the facilitator in driving meaningful impact. You’ll learn:
- The role of cyber tabletop facilitator in guiding diverse stakeholders through complex, high-stakes scenarios
- The common challenges and incident response gaps that tabletop simulations reveal under pressure
- What participants discover—and how they use those learnings to improve cyber crisis preparedness
Explore how expert-led tabletop exercises not only test systems but also reveal character, culture, and capability—and transform organizations from reactive to resilient.
You can download the full 2026 State of Cybersecurity in Canada report here.
