Publication details
Assessment of performance during cybersecurity tabletop exercises
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Security Journal |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41284-023-00391-4 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41284-023-00391-4 |
| Keywords | Tabletop exercise; Cybersecurity; Performance; Assessment; Workload |
| Description | This research aims to test several tools for assessing workload and performance during a tabletop cybersecurity exercise. We have administered two such exercises in order to collect and analyse data regarding the participants’ behavioural characteristics, their knowledge of cybersecurity, and four sets of questions assessing how they performed their tasks and how they handled the workload. Furthermore, we have also looked for statistical associations with independent expert evaluation of their performance, their mutual assessments of their team colleagues, their professional background and the potential influence of repeated assessment delayed by 2 weeks. We have found that performance was most strongly correlated with a lack of perceived stress caused by the workload, knowledge of cybersecurity, good communication and, unexpectedly, a low openness score. The repeated delayed assessment yielded only data consistent with a regression towards the mean. A comparison between technical and non-technical professionals showed little difference in their self-assessment but showed differences in how they were perceived and assessed by their teammates. Given the importance of this topic, we suggest this area needs further research. |
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