Experts from technology, security and business consultancy Waterstons have revolutionised cyber security training techniques by taking it back to basics – a board game.
‘Udder Disaster’, an award-winning game created by Craig Archdeacon and colleagues, replicates real life events in a fun and interactive way, and is used to help businesses train their teams in business resilience.
Craig, Head of Cyber Assurance at Waterstons said: “It can be difficult to articulate the importance of balancing business objectives with good risk management, cyber security and a well-thought-out strategy, so we created this game to close the gap between innovation, growth and the reality of building a business.
“Although an important subject matter, it was vital for us to make sure it was understood, so making it fun and engaging was a given as that way players don’t even realise they are gaining a greater understanding of why protections are in place to enable effective operation, opportunity creation and taking well-informed, calculated risks.”
In the game, which takes common business scenarios and applies them to the context of a dairy farm, players need to successfully navigate the challenges of running a business, considering key components and strategies to protect, adapt, optimise and innovate.
Craig continued: “One of the biggest cyber security weaknesses for businesses is lack of knowledge amongst staff, so Udder Disaster can be used as a training tool for teams, business leaders, operational managers and budding entrepreneurs to understand vulnerabilities, risks and budgets outside of the context of their own business.”
Initially developed during the first Covid-19 lockdown, the game is now available to play both virtually and in-person, meaning it can be accessed by firms all over the world.
Caroline Wilson, Corporate Services Manager at East Lothian Housing Association was one of the first to play Udder Disaster with her team, she said: “The game created great conversations and much competitiveness within the teams. Everyone was engaged in this unique way of learning an often-complicated topic, and we came away well informed with great awareness.”
To find out more about Udder Disaster, arrange a chance to play the game, or find out how we can support your business resilience strategy get in touch with cyber@waterstons.com.
The Waterstons team will be showcasing Udder Disaster at Futurescot Cyber Security 2024, so make sure you have a go and you might win a prize.
