Guardian: Under Siege "Cold Call" is a facilitated cybersecurity tabletop exercise (TTX) for electric cooperatives. It's a guided, decision-driven conversation about a realistic cyber incident. This interactive event will allow you to actively work a cybersecurity scenario in real time as you would in your own co-op environment.
No matter your co-op's cybersecurity posture or your own technical expertise, this exercise meets you where you are: there are no technical requirements and no wrong answers. Download the Know Before You Go guide for a complete idea of what you can expect during the exercise.
You'll also receive NRECA’s Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan (CIRP) template based on your cybersecurity category (maturity) ahead of the exercise. This will support your planning and learning.
Understanding your category: You can determine your category using the graphic below. You can also reference the Know Before You Go guide for more details.
You will:- Work with peers matched to your category — the scenario and questions are tuned to your depth.
- Participate in open group chat along with dedicated time to confer with your own internal team. Registrants are encouraged to bring senior leadership, managers and key co-op staff from across the organization to support collaboration and decision-making during the exercise.
- Receive a resource packet with templates and references you can use.
- Get a clearer, honest picture of your gaps benchmarked against peers.
Follow these steps to register:- Click the register button to begin the registration process.
- During the registration process, you will be asked to select your cybersecurity category (maturity). This will enable you to be matched with co-ops at a similar category. Learn more.
- Upon registration, you will receive a registration confirmation email. Included in this email will be a link to NRECA’s Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan (CIRP) template. Download the template built for your maturity level from the member portal.
- Compare the template to your existing plan and bring it to your session.
- Registrants are encouraged to bring senior leadership, managers and key co-op staff from across the organization to support collaboration and decision-making during the exercise.. Reserve a conference room and attend as a team!
Download the Inject Pack from the member portal and have it open and ready for the session. All exercise materials come in this one file. Open each section only when the facilitator calls it. NOTE: Are you newer to exercises like this? Open it in advance and review it alongside the Reading the Evidence guide. You won't be asked to decide anything early, just to get familiar with what you'll see.
What to expect during the tabletop exercise:Plan for about 2.5 hours — five or six short rounds, a brief panel with response partners, and a wrap-up where you can discuss action(s) to take home. We will:
- Establish the scene— facilitators will provide a short update of the scenario and provide instructions.
- Break into your room and work the scenario as your own co-op, using questions tuned to your level. This is where you talk with your own people.
- Come back together and compare how different co-ops handled it — that's where a lot of the learning happens.
Get more details in the Know Before You Go guide. A complete list of resources are available here.
One important note: We strongly encourage attendees to avoid using mobile devices to participate in the exercise. Due to Microsoft platform limitations, participants using unsupported devices may have a significantly degraded experience during the event.
Questions? Contact membersecurity@nreca.coop.
