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Board Cyber Crisis Programme

Is Your Board Ready to Lead Through a Cyber Crisis? 

BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL

A high-impact Board Cyber Crisis Programme designed to test executive decision-making, crisis communications and regulatory response before a real incident happens 

Cyber attacks stopped being technical incidents a long time ago. Now, they are board-level business crises that can affect operations, regulatory confidence, share value and leadership credibility.

The Board Cyber Crisis Programme prepares your board and executive leadership team to respond decisively when the pressure is real. Through a tailored executive workshop and realistic board tabletop exercises, your executive leadership will experience the demands of a cyber crisis in a safe, structured and professionally facilitated environment.

 

Why This Programme, Why Now?

When a cyber incident escalates, the board will be expected to make fast, difficult and highly visible decisions.

  • Who declares a crisis?
  • Who speaks to regulators?
  • What do you say to customers, employees, investors and the media?
  • How do you balance legal, operational, reputational and ethical considerations?
  • How do you demonstrate effective governance after the event?

Many organisations have technical incident response plans. But few have tested whether their board can lead the business through regulatory and communications consequences of a major cyber attack. That is the gap this programme closes. The Board Cyber Crisis Programme helps boards move beyond awareness and into practical readiness. It creates the “muscle memory” senior leaders need when every decision is time-sensitive and consequential.

The Market Gap

Most cyber training is designed for technical teams. Most crisis communications training is not cyber-specific. Most board briefings explain the risk but do not test board behaviour under pressure. The real gap is at the intersection of:

Cyber incident response 

Board governance

Regulatory accountability

Media pressure

Stakeholder trust

Crisis leadership

Our programme brings these elements together in one board-level experience.

Top Benefits of the Board Cyber Crisis Programme

Build Board-Level Cyber Confidence

Move from passive awareness to active crisis leadership. 

Test Real Decision-Making

Give your board a safe environment to practise decisions before a real incident occurs. 

Strengthen Governance and Accountability

Clarify roles, escalation routes and board responsibilities during a major cyber incident.

Improve Crisis Communications

Prepare leaders to communicate with employees, customers, regulators, media and other stakeholders.

Identify Gaps Before a Crisis

Reveal weaknesses in plans, processes, assumptions and leadership coordination. 

Support Regulatory Readiness

Help the board understand what evidence, decisions and actions may matter during regulatory scrutiny. 

What the Programme Includes: Course Modules

  • 1. Executive Cyber Crisis Workshop

    A focused, board-level workshop that gives participants the essential context they need before entering the simulation. This session is designed for senior, non-technical leaders and covers:

    - The current cyber threat landscape and what it means for boards
    - The board’s role before, during and after a cyber incident
    - Decision-making under uncertainty
    - Crisis governance and escalation
    - Legal, regulatory and reputational considerations
    - Stakeholder expectations during a cyber event
    - Common leadership failures in cyber crises
    - What good board-level cyber resilience looks like

    Outcome:
    Participants understand their role in a cyber crisis and are ready to apply that knowledge in a realistic exercise.

     

  • 2. Tailored Board Tabletop Exercise

    This exercise is based on the simulation of a realistic cyber crisis scenario. The scenario is designed around your specific organisation, sector, operating model, risk profile and leadership structure.

    This is not an off-the-shelf exercise. We develop a tailored case study based on the kinds of incidents that could realistically affect your organisation.

    The case study can include, for example:

    - Ransomware affecting critical operations
    - Data breach involving customers, employees or sensitive records
    - Supply chain compromise
    - Insider threat
    - Attack on critical systems or public-facing services
    - Cyber incident during a high-profile business event
    - Cyber crisis with political, public interest or regulatory sensitivity

     

    During the tabletop, board members will be asked to respond to evolving information and make decisions. They are also encouraged to challenge assumptions and work together under realistic time pressure.

    Outcome:
    Your board gains practical experience in leading a cyber crisis. They are able to identify where decision-making, governance, escalation or communication processes need strengthening.

  • 3. Media Simulation

    Cyber crises often become public before organisations are ready.

    The media simulation tests how your leadership team would respond to external scrutiny, fast-moving narratives and difficult questions.

    This can include:

    - Simulated journalist enquiries
    - Breaking news scenarios
    - Social media escalation
    - Customer and stakeholder pressure
    - Draft holding statements
    - Press conference preparation
    - Testing spokesperson confidence and message discipline

    Outcome:
    Your leaders understand how to protect trust, avoid speculation and communicate facts responsibly. Most importantly, they practise how to maintain confidence during a high-pressure media environment.



  • 4. Regulatory Simulation

    A cyber crisis can trigger urgent regulatory obligations and external reporting expectations.

    The regulatory simulation helps your board and executive team practise how they would respond to regulator interest, notification requirements and governance scrutiny.

    The simulation can be tailored to your sector and may include:
    - Simulated regulator enquiries
    - Breach notification decision points
    - Information requests
    - Evidence of board oversight
    - Governance and accountability questions
    - Legal and compliance escalation
    - Coordination between the board, legal, security, risk and communications teams

    Outcome:
    Your leadership team gains a clearer understanding of regulatory expectations and how to demonstrate calm, structured and accountable decision-making.

  • 5. Crisis Communications Coaching

    In a cyber crisis, the quality of communication can determine whether stakeholders stay confident or lose trust. This coaching element helps senior leaders communicate clearly with internal and external audiences.


    We focus on:

    - Board-level messaging
    - CEO and chair communications
    - Internal staff updates
    - Customer and client communications
    - Investor or funder messaging
    - Media statements
    - Creating pre-approved communications templates 
    - Regulator-facing communications
    - Avoiding over-reassurance, under-disclosure and inconsistent messaging

    Outcome:
    Your board and executive team leave with stronger communication instincts and a clearer approach to stakeholder reassurance.

  • 6. Debrief and Recommendations

    A facilitated debrief to capture lessons, strengths, weaknesses and improvement priorities.

    Focus areas:
    - What worked well
    - Where decision-making slowed down
    - Where roles were unclear
    - Communication gaps
    - Regulatory readiness gaps
    - Priority actions
    - Next steps for improvement

Board Cyber Crisis

Who is this Programme for?

Designed for boards and executive leadership teams

The Board Cyber Crisis Programme is designed for:

  • Board members
  • Chairs and non-executive directors
  • CEOs and managing directors
  • Executive leadership teams
  • General counsel and legal leaders
  • Risk, compliance and governance leaders
  • Communications and public affairs leaders
  • CIOs, CISOs and technology leaders
  • HR and people leaders
  • Operations and business continuity leaders

The programme is especially valuable for organisations operating in regulated, high-trust, public-facing or operationally critical environments.



Tailored Case Study

Every programme includes a bespoke cyber crisis case study

This is not an off-the-shelf simulation. Every Board Cyber Crisis Programme includes a tailored case study designed around your organisation, sector, operating model, risk profile and stakeholder environment.

Before the session, we gather relevant context such as:

  • Your sector and operating environment
  • Business-critical services
  • Key stakeholders
  • Existing crisis and incident response plans
  • Likely cyber threat scenarios
  • Regulatory considerations
  • Board and executive structure
  • Communications risks
  • Recent sector incidents or emerging risks

We then create a realistic cyber crisis scenario that feels relevant, credible and challenging for your leadership team.

Possible scenarios include:

  • Ransomware affecting critical operations
  • Data breach involving customers, employees or sensitive records
  • Supply chain compromise
  • Insider threat
  • Cloud or SaaS platform compromise
  • Attack on critical systems or public-facing services
  • Cyber incident during a high-profile business event
  • Cyber crisis involving public, political or regulatory sensitivity

The result is a practical board-level exercise that reflects the kinds of decisions your organisation may genuinely need to make.

Book a Board Cyber Crisis Readiness Consultation
Case Study
Board Cyber Crisis Programme

Learning Outcomes: What the Participants Will Be Able to Do After The Programme

The Board Cyber Crisis Programme gives your senior leaders the confidence, structure and practical experience to make better decisions when it matters most. 

Book a Discovery Call

Understand the board’s role in a cyber crisis

 

Make confident decisions under pressure

 

Escalate issues appropriately and prepare for regulator engagement

Ask the right questions of technical, legal and communications teams

Communicate effectively with stakeholders and the media

Balance operational, legal, regulatory and reputational priorities

Identify gaps in crisis plans and governance processes

Strengthen cyber resilience at the leadership level

Programme Format

Suggested Full Day Format

 The programme can be delivered as a half-day, full-day or modular board development experience. Below is a suggested full-day format broken up into 6 sessions. 

Session 2: Tailored Board Tabletop Exercise

A realistic cyber incident scenario unfolds in phases, requiring board-level decisions and escalation.

Session 3: Media Simulation

Participants respond to simulated press, public and stakeholder pressure.

Session 4: Regulatory Simulation

The board handles simulated regulatory questions, reporting decisions and accountability challenges.

Session 5: Crisis Communications Coaching

Facilitated coaching on messaging, tone, spokesperson confidence and stakeholder reassurance.

Session 6: Debrief and Recommendations

A structured review of strengths, gaps, lessons and priority actions.

Deliverables: What You Receive

Each Board Cyber Crisis Programme includes the following: 



Pre-session discovery and planning

Tailored cyber crisis case study

Executive workshop materials

 

Facilitated board tabletop exercise

 

Media simulation injects

 

Regulatory simulation injects

Crisis communications coaching

 

Cyber Crisis Decision-Making Framework

 

Post-exercise debrief

Executive summary report

 

Key observations and recommendations 

Priority action plan for improving board cyber crisis readiness

 

Why Choose Cyber Management Alliance?

Built for executive decision-makers, not technical teams

Cyber Management Alliance is a global cybersecurity training and consultancy provider with deep experience in cyber incident response, executive training, crisis management and cyber tabletop exercises. 

 Our approach is: 

Board-level

Focused on governance, leadership and strategic decisions. 

Non-technical

Designed for senior leaders who need practical clarity, not technical jargon.

Realistic

Built around credible cyber crisis scenarios relevant to your organisation 

Interactive

Participants make decisions, respond to pressure and receive expert feedback.



Integrated

Combines cyber, media, regulatory and communications pressure in one experience.



Outcome-focused

Produces practical observations, recommendations and next steps. 

If you still have questions that are not answered here, please get in touch via email.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Board Cyber Crisis Programme

  • Is this programme technical?
    No. The programme is designed for boards, executives and senior leaders. It focuses on governance, decision-making, escalation, stakeholder communication and crisis leadership. 
  • Is the case study tailored to our organisation?
    Yes. Every programme includes a tailored case study based on your organisation’s sector, risk profile, operating model, stakeholders and likely cyber crisis scenarios. 
  • Can the programme include our existing incident response or crisis plans?
    Yes. Where appropriate, the exercise can be designed to test your existing cyber incident response, crisis management, communications and escalation arrangements. 
  • Can this be delivered virtually?
    Yes. The programme can be delivered onsite, virtually or in a hybrid format depending on the needs of your board and executive team. 
  • What do we receive after the programme?

    You receive a structured debrief, executive summary report, key observations, recommendations and a priority action plan to strengthen board cyber crisis readiness.

  • Who should attend?

    The programme is designed for board members, CEOs, executive teams, legal, risk, compliance, communications, technology, HR and operations leaders.

Client Testimonials

We have assisted numerous organisations including FIFA, NHS, Capita, BNP Paribas, Formula One Racing, British Medical Journal, and many more with assessments and audits. Here's some feedback from just a few of them.

Mudassar Ulhaq

Mudassar Ulhaq - Chief Information Officer -Waverton Investment Management

"I would recommend Cyber Management Alliance’s tabletop workshops to anyone genuinely interested in being on top of their cyber incident response strategies. The format and style of conducting the entire workshop is what I found a lot of value in. Most importantly, the scenarios on which the workshop was based were relevant to the business, making the exercise a great investment of time and resources."

Aaron-Twonsend

Aaron Townsend - Service Delivery Manager - British Medical Journal

"In order for BMJ to the right way forward we looked for a VCISO to advise us on the right way to do things and give us expertise. We went to Cyber Management Alliance and it's been about a year now and we ran workshops, looked at our response to incidents, created the incident response plan and we are in a position now where we understand our way forward. Our VCISO keeps us on our toes and overall it's been a very effective way of delivering expertise into the organisation that we wouldn't have normally had."

Neil Mallon

Neil Mallon - Strategic Technology Leader - Aster Housing

"The Cyber Crisis Tabletop Exercise and corresponding audit conducted by Cyber Management Alliance Ltd was expertly delivered and has given us insights to reinforce our cyber strategy by continuing to help build the picture of where we were, where we are now, and our next focussed steps. We will be engaging CM-Alliance on an annual basis."

We're here to help

Prepare your board before the crisis happens

Speak to our executive training team today to discuss a tailored programme for your board. 

BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL
Let us show you why our clients trust us and love working with us.

We provide support on cybersecurity strategy, policies, incident response, gap assessments, SIEM assessments, GDPR, Cyber Crisis Tabletop Exercises, Breach Readiness Assessments, and more. Speak to us to find out how we can assist. 

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