Gotta Contain 'Em All: Collaborative Incident Response Training Through Gaming

No ratings

Presented at BSides Tallinn 2026 by

Klaus Agnoletti

Incident response isn't just about knowing your tools - it's about coordinating under pressure, communicating when things go sideways, and making calls with incomplete information. Traditional training focuses on isolated techniques, missing the collaborative reality of actual incidents. And most tabletop exercises? Painfully dull. Participants zone out, give checkbox answers, and leave having learned little. This workshop introduces Malware & Monsters (https://malwareandmonsters.com), a framework that turns IR training into something people actually enjoy. Think tabletop role-playing meets creature-collection mechanics, where teams "hunt and contain" digital threats through story-driven gameplay. Game-based learning works - research shows it beats traditional instruction for skill building and retention. M&M makes participants actively discover concepts instead of sitting through lectures. Scenarios include organizational pressures, evolving threats, and stakeholder drama, turning abstract security concepts into tangible problems. You'll experience the full methodology: learn the mechanics, build custom scenarios based on real malware families (mapped to MITRE ATT&CK), and run live simulations. Participants take specialized roles - Hunter, Analyst, Forensicator, Communicator, Coordinator, or Researcher - experiencing how security functions actually collaborate during incidents. The framework includes legacy malmons from malware history—because history always repeats itself, and understanding past threats reveals patterns in current attacks. The "type effectiveness" system teaches strategic thinking about matching defenses to threats. Evolution mechanics show how attacks escalate when containment fails. Participants walk away with ready-to-use materials and facilitation techniques for training that actually works. Best of all? M&M is free to play in most cases.