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Operation HELVETIA, the Crisis Decision Deck.
A gamified, branching crisis exercise that puts your leadership team inside a live ransomware crisis, then tests the decisions that decide whether it is contained or compounded.
A serious game that rehearses the worst night of your year
Operation HELVETIA is Resilience Guard's facilitated, gamified crisis decision exercise for senior teams: a ransomware attack on a Swiss critical infrastructure operator, played out across six business functions as a branching card deck where every decision routes to a specific, realistic consequence.
One gold path leads to a contained crisis. Several wrong turns become unrecoverable. Unlike a slide driven tabletop, the deck makes consequence immediate and physical: a choice that feels decisive can quietly close your options, while a patient, disciplined call keeps the crisis solvable.
Because the run is scored, the exercise is competitive and memorable, and it ends with a debrief that converts the experience into specific improvements to your own plans. It is rehearsal with the pressure turned on, in ninety minutes, with nothing real at stake. HELVETIA is the gamified format within our wider crisis management exercise programme, and doubles as a cyber crisis exercise: the scenario is a live ransomware attack.
Built for the people who carry the decision
No technical knowledge and no preparation are required. Participants play their own function, or the closest one, and bring their judgement.
An exercise that doubles as evidence
Operation HELVETIA is aligned to ISO 22301, NIS2 and DORA exercising expectations. The scored run and the structured debrief produce a clear record of decision quality that stands as exercising evidence for auditors and regulators, while the no fault format keeps the room honest and the learning real.
Frequently asked questions
What is Operation HELVETIA?+
Operation HELVETIA is Resilience Guard's proprietary, gamified crisis decision exercise. It simulates a ransomware attack on a Swiss critical infrastructure operator and plays out as a branching deck of 72 decision cards across six business functions, in a ninety minute facilitated session.
How is it different from a normal tabletop exercise?+
A conventional tabletop discusses what you would do. Operation HELVETIA makes you choose, then routes each choice to a specific consequence. One gold path leads to containment; several wrong turns are unrecoverable. The scoring makes it competitive and memorable.
Do participants need technical knowledge?+
No. No technical knowledge and no preparation are required. Each participant plays their own business function, or the closest one, and brings their judgement.
Does it count as regulatory exercising evidence?+
Yes. The exercise is aligned to ISO 22301, NIS2 and DORA exercising expectations, and the scored run plus structured debrief produce a documented record of decision quality.
How long is a session and where can it run?+
Ninety minutes, facilitated by Resilience Guard, at your premises or an offsite of your choice, for boards, executive committees and cross functional leadership teams.
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Play the worst night of your year, before it happens.
Book a private Operation HELVETIA session for your leadership team and see how your decisions hold under pressure.
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