Security Operations Services
Tabletop exercises. Incident response readiness. Business continuity. Security awareness. Your security operations program - built by practitioners who run security programs, not just audit them.
Most security operations programs are built to satisfy an auditor, not to actually work during an incident. Dark Rock's Security Operations practice builds programs that function when tested - because we test them before an attacker does.
Our practice covers four core capabilities: tabletop exercise facilitation, incident response planning, business continuity and disaster recovery design, and security awareness training. Each is delivered by practitioners with direct incident response experience - not theoretical framework alignment.
Dark Rock's Security Ops practice is backed by ATLAS, our automated threat and log analysis system. ATLAS replaces the manual tabletop design and scenario-building process that most facilitators still run from a blank document.
Tabletop Exercises
A tabletop exercise (TTX) tests your incident response plan by walking your team through a simulated attack scenario. Done correctly, it surfaces gaps in decision authority, communication chains, and technical response procedures before a real incident does.
Dark Rock designs each tabletop scenario using ATLAS, our automated exercise platform. ATLAS generates realistic attack scenarios calibrated to your industry, your threat model, and your compliance obligations - then adapts in real time based on participant decisions during the exercise.
Deliverables include: a pre-exercise threat model tailored to your organization, the full exercise scenario package, a facilitator guide, and a post-exercise after-action report documenting observed gaps and prioritized improvement actions.
- Scenario types: ransomware, data breach, insider threat, supply chain compromise, DDoS, and regulatory notification exercises
- Audience: executive leadership, IT/security team, legal/compliance, and combined cross-functional exercises
- Format: half-day (4 hours) or full-day (8 hours) facilitated sessions
- Deliverable: post-exercise after-action report with gap findings and improvement roadmap
Incident Response Planning
An incident response plan that lives in a shared drive and has not been reviewed in 18 months is not a plan - it is a document that will slow you down when an incident occurs. Dark Rock designs and validates incident response plans that your team can actually execute.
We build IR plans to NIST 800-61 Rev. 2 structure: preparation, detection and analysis, containment, eradication and recovery, and post-incident activity. Every plan includes named roles, escalation decision trees, external contact lists (legal counsel, cyber insurance, FBI/CISA notification procedures), and a communication template package.
- Incident classification matrix - severity levels 1–4 with defined response SLAs
- Playbooks for ransomware, data breach, insider threat, account compromise, and DDoS
- Escalation decision tree with named decision authorities
- External notification templates (regulatory bodies, law enforcement, cyber insurer)
- Post-incident review procedure and lessons-learned documentation template
- Annual review and test schedule built into the plan document
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Business continuity (BCP) and disaster recovery (DR) planning address what happens when security incidents - or any disruption - take critical systems offline. Dark Rock designs BCP/DR programs that meet both operational requirements and compliance obligations.
We conduct a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to identify critical processes, define Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs), and map dependencies across your technology stack. The BCP/DR plan documents recovery procedures, alternate site arrangements, communication protocols, and testing schedules.
- Business Impact Analysis with RTO/RPO definition for all critical systems
- Disaster recovery runbooks for primary failure scenarios
- Communication tree and crisis leadership structure
- Annual testing schedule (tabletop, functional test, and full failover)
- Compliance alignment with SOC 2 Availability criteria, ISO 22301, NIST SP 800-34
Security Awareness Training
Phishing simulation and compliance-checkbox training are not the same as a security awareness program that changes behavior. Dark Rock designs training programs calibrated to your workforce - by role, by threat exposure, and by the specific attack patterns your industry faces.
Programs include: baseline phishing simulation to establish a pre-training click rate, role-based training modules (general workforce, IT staff, executive leadership), recurring phishing simulation with difficulty scaling, and quarterly metrics reporting to your security leadership.
- Baseline phishing simulation - establishes click-rate benchmark before training
- Role-based training modules: general workforce, IT and security staff, executive team
- Phishing simulation cadence: monthly or quarterly, with progressively realistic scenarios
- Quarterly metrics: click rate trend, training completion, reported phish rate
- Specialized modules: social engineering awareness, physical security, remote work hygiene
ATLAS Automates Tabletop Design - So Your Exercise Tests Reality
Dark Rock's ATLAS platform generates tabletop exercise scenarios calibrated to your threat model, adapts to participant decisions in real time, and produces structured after-action data automatically. Most facilitators build scenarios in a slide deck the week before. ATLAS starts with your actual environment and threat intelligence - so your exercise tests how your team responds to threats that are actually targeting your industry.
Estimate Your ROI
Adjust the sliders below to see estimated savings, ROI, and payback period based on your organization's size and current security spend.
Security Operations ROI Estimator
Estimate the savings from managed security operations - reduced incident response costs, faster detection, and downtime avoidance.
Your Inputs
Estimated Results
$606,000
Annual Savings
1010%
ROI
1 months payback
Breakdown
- Incident Volume Reduction$240,000
- Faster Response Cost Savings$126,000
- Downtime Avoidance Value$120,000
- In-house SOC Team Cost Avoided$180,000
- Managed Security Operations Cost-$60,000
* Estimates based on industry benchmarks. Actual savings depend on your specific environment and engagement scope.
