Crisis exercises as the key to greater cyber resilience

Cybercrime poses a serious and constantly growing threat to companies. According to the study “The State of Ransomware 2024” by Sophos, 59% of the Swiss companies surveyed were affected by ransomware last year alone. A successful ransomware attack can quickly lead to an existential crisis in which the survival of the entire organisation is at stake.

The consequences of ransomware attacks: a real risk

The financial and operational consequences of such attacks are serious and, in the worst case, can even lead to bankruptcy. This is shown by the example of “Change Healthcare“. The payment provider in the medical sector fell victim to a ransomware attack in February of this year. The company paid a ransom of USD 22 million, patient data was published on the darknet and some customers went bankrupt due to the financial consequences.

Crisis preparedness: the key to survival

In an emergency, well thought-out crisis preparedness is crucial for the survival of a company. Affected systems must be isolated immediately and emergency plans activated to initiate the recovery of data from backups. At the same time, it is important to analyse and close security gaps. Clear and appropriate internal and external communication is also essential. The entire crisis response process – from alarm mechanisms and escalation chains to countermeasures – must function smoothly under time pressure.

The importance of realistic crisis exercises

Realistic crisis exercises are a key tool for strengthening cyber resilience. They help to uncover weaknesses in the organisation, processes and communication as well as in the security awareness of employees. Such exercises offer an efficient way to play through a fictitious ransomware attack. The infiltration of your systems, the encryption of sensitive data and the ransom demands are realistically simulated. Targeted improvement measures can significantly reduce the corresponding risks.

Support from ensec: expert assistance in crisis situations

As an experienced service provider, we will guide you through simulated emergency and crisis scenarios in an expert and solution-orientated manner. Together, we develop customised exercise concepts and implement them professionally. On completion of the crisis exercises, you will receive a detailed assessment of the situation as well as specific recommendations for prevention, incident management, communication and data recovery.

Your partner for sustainable cyber resilience

With ensec’s expertise at your side, you can continuously strengthen your cyber resilience. Our in-depth industry knowledge of current risks and threats, combined with an externally focussed view of potential vulnerabilities, ensures that blind spots are also uncovered. Together, we develop a robust roadmap to improve your crisis preparedness and resilience to cyber attacks.

Conclusion: Regular crisis exercises increase your safety

Don’t forget: regular and realistic crisis exercises sharpen your response and prevention processes and thus strengthen your cyber resilience in the long term. Strengthen your defences against cyber attacks before it’s too late.