Crisis Management Exercises Took Center Stage on Day Two of the VKU Congress – and for good Reason.
A municipal company shared a compelling account of a cyberattack it fortunately overcame without major damage. The reason? Regular crisis management exercises. Without this targeted training, the company’s leadership clearly stated, they would have faced serious operational and communication consequences.
In recent years, municipal companies have come to understand that, as system-critical actors, they are particularly targeted by potential attackers – and must be prepared accordingly. The urgency has been recognized. The willingness to evolve is there. And reality shows: it’s not just the “big players” who get hit – every organization, every operator, every municipal company can become a target.
From our experience at TÜV TRUST IT – whether with energy providers, municipal utilities, IT service providers, SMEs, or global corporations – one thing is clear: those who are prepared can respond quickly, effectively, and in a structured way when a crisis hits. Those who aren’t face serious problems.
Because: Crisis management exercises are not a nice-to-have – they are the backbone of effective emergency and crisis response.
In a world where cyberattacks, natural disasters, or supply chain disruptions can become reality at any moment, relying on plans stored in the intranet is not enough. When things get serious, it’s not what’s written on paper that counts – it’s what’s been practiced. Under pressure, under stress, under realistic conditions.
Of course, many companies initially see these exercises as a burden: they consume resources, create discomfort, and expose weaknesses. But that’s exactly where their value lies. Because: Only an exercise where something goes wrong is a good exercise. It shows where processes need improvement, interfaces need sharpening, and responsibilities need clarification. In a real crisis, there’s no time for that.
A well-designed crisis management exercise follows a clear structure. It starts with the realistic development of a scenario – whether ransomware attack, data breach, or widespread IT outage – and includes defining participant roles, executing the exercise using methods like FORDEC (Facts, Options, Risks, Decision, Execution, Check), and thorough debriefing. What matters is not that everything runs perfectly – but that lessons are learned from mistakes.
The use of modern technologies – from AI-powered analysis tools to virtual reality simulations – opens up additional possibilities. But it’s also clear: technology is no substitute for functioning processes, trained people, and lived collaboration. It’s only as good as the structure it’s embedded in.
The key takeaway: Effective emergency management is based on more than a printed alarm plan. It requires solid risk analyses, clear responsibilities, technical and organizational resources, communication strategies – and, most importantly: practiced response. Regularly. Realistically. Seriously.
At TÜV TRUST IT, our principle is always: A company can have all the tools, systems, and policies in place – but in a real crisis, what counts is mindset, preparation, and responsiveness. The best cybersecurity measures are worthless if they haven’t been internalized. And that can be trained.
Those who fail during an exercise at least have the chance to learn from it. But those who only realize during a real crisis that their crisis team can’t manage one – don’t get a second chance. That’s why we don’t train for emergencies with our clients – we train as if it were an emergency.
Crisis management exercises are not a burden. They are an investment in resilience, responsiveness, and security. Those who understand this have taken a crucial step – and are no longer at the mercy of the next crisis, but prepared to face it.