Tabletop testing doesn’t have to be complex or time intensive to be effective. It’s as simple as assembling the Crisis Management Team and walking through example recovery scenarios step-by-step. In this webinar, we show you how to run an effective tabletop test, specific to the risk profile of your business.

1. How to run a tabletop
DR test
2:00pm
28th April 2016

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INTRO &
AGENDA
Duration: 30 mins
(including Q&A)
Type questions on
the right
• What is a tabletop test?
• Scenario vs impact based planning and
testing
• How to choose a good scenario
• Who and what you need to run an effective
test
• Tips for the test facilitator and leader
Q

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WHAT IS
YOUR WORST
RECOVERY
NIGHTMARE?

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WHAT IS A TABLETOP TEST
• Types of test:
– Real recovery: Actual cut-over of systems, re-routing of
email and telephones, staff re-location
– Test recovery: Cut-over of limited range of systems, use
of email and phones without re-routing and re-location of
small teams
– Individual system recovery: Full test of recovery and
cut-over of individual systems
– Tabletop recovery test: Walk-through of recovery
without performing actions

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DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS

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https://tools.databarracks.
com/dr-tabletop-
simulation/index.html

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https://tools.databarracks.com/dr-tabletop-simulation/index.html

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https://tools.databarracks.com/dr-tabletop-simulation/index.html

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SCENARIO vs IMPACT BASED TESTING
• Influenza
• Aviation accident
• Large building collapse
• Heavy snow
• Large road accident involving fuel or explosives
• Storms and gales
• Bridge collapse
• Railway accident
• Office fire
• Reservoir failure
• Coastal / tidal flooding
• SAN failure
• Cyber attack
• Critical resources unavailable
• Staff unable to perform their jobs
Disaster scenarios Disaster impacts

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HOW TO
CHOOSE A
GOOD
SCENARIO

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PLANNING YOUR TABLETOP TEST
– Facilitator (third party)
– Leader
– Department heads
– Suppliers & other third parties
– Note-taker
Who do you need?
• The right people (dependent on scope), not always the
same people. Don’t just choose the best people!

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PLANNING YOUR TABLETOP TEST
• Scope (one dept, one location etc.)
• A scenario
• A location for the team
• Your “battle box”
• A BC / DR plan
• Time - enough time to work through the scenario with (extra
contingency) and time for review
What do you need?

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CAN I HAVE AN IMPROMPTU TEST?

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WHAT DOES A TEST LOOK LIKE?
• Facilitator sets the scene and tells
you what you need to recover from
• Incident management, crisis
management, BCP invocation
• Work through the recovery plan
• Data injects
• Adapt and continue through the
plan to recovery
• Review (and book another)
• Follow up plan (who is fixing
what, in what time frame?)
• Distribute written-up review
• Carry out the actions
• Report to participants and other
stakeholders
• Next test?
On the day Follow-up

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WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMETHING GOES
WRONG
• You will find problems. Make sure they are recorded and
you can take action.
• Should you stop the test if you absolutely can’t continue?

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WHAT TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR
• Assumptions made in the recovery (“our supplier will have
spares” or “it takes 30 minutes to recover server x – which
can be adequately reconnected to all other services”) need
to be checked. If they don’t have spares – what is the
alternative?

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IF YOU REMEMBER NOTHING ELSE!
1. A tabletop test is not a replacement for technical
testing
2. Record and check all assumptions
3.It’s only a failure if you don’t learn from it and improve

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http://www.thebcpcast.com/

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RESOURCES
• The Business Continuity Podcast
– http://www.thebcpcast.com/
• Tabletop testing simulator
https://tools.databarracks.com/dr-
tabletop-simulation/index.html
• DR Planning Tools
– https://tools.databarracks.com/
• Business Continuity Institute
– http://www.thebci.org/
• Cross-sector Safety and Security
Communication
– http://www.vocal.co.uk/cssc/

20. Questions?