Who We Are
Specialists in exercising, resilience and capability development
GDAK helps organisations prepare for complex incidents by developing their people, testing their plans and building the capabilities required to respond effectively under pressure.
We are an NCSC Assured Cyber Incident Exercising Provider with experience across government, defence, critical national infrastructure and commercial organisations. Our work ranges from focused cyber incident exercises to multi-year resilience programmes, specialist training, cyber range development and national capability initiatives.
What distinguishes GDAK is not only our ability to design and deliver credible exercises. It is our ability to help organisations understand what good preparedness looks like, identify where capability needs to improve and build the structures required to sustain that improvement.
Preparedness built around people
Technology is an essential part of cyber security and organisational resilience, but effective response depends on people.
Leaders must be able to make difficult decisions with incomplete information. Teams must understand their responsibilities. Plans must work across organisational boundaries. Communication must remain effective when pressure increases.
Our exercises and capability programmes are designed around these realities. We create credible environments in which people can rehearse, adapt and learn before a real incident places the organisation at risk.
Operational experience applied professionally
Our team brings experience from cyber operations, intelligence, defence, national security, critical infrastructure and complex operational environments.
That experience informs how we work, but it does not replace a structured methodology. Every engagement is built around clear objectives, realistic conditions, professional exercise control and evidence that can support meaningful improvement.
We combine operational credibility with disciplined design, careful facilitation and a strong understanding of organisational behaviour under pressure.
More than exercise delivery
GDAK can provide a single exercise, but our work often extends much further. We help organisations:
- Design and deliver realistic cyber and resilience exercises
- Establish structured exercise programmes and campaigns
- Train facilitators and exercise leaders
- Develop sustainable internal exercising capabilities
- Assess organisational maturity and preparedness
- Improve lessons identification and follow-through
- Develop cyber range and simulation capabilities
- Establish governance, operating models and centres of excellence
- Support national and strategic capability-development programmes
Our aim is not to create long-term dependency. Where appropriate, we transfer knowledge, build internal competence and help organisations become increasingly capable of sustaining their own preparedness.
How we work
Understand before we design
We begin by establishing the organisational context, risks, stakeholders, objectives and intended outcomes. This ensures the work is relevant and focused from the outset.
Create credible challenge
Our exercises are designed to generate realistic decision-making, coordination and organisational pressure without introducing complexity for its own sake.
Focus on evidence
We create clear observations, findings and recommendations that can support decisions, investment and measurable improvement.
Build capability, not activity
A successful exercise should contribute to wider organisational development. We help customers turn individual engagements into sustained improvement.
Work as a trusted partner
We work closely with customers, protect sensitive information and provide clear, objective advice, including when the findings are difficult.
Our values
Operational realism
We create exercises and programmes that reflect how organisations actually operate, not how plans assume they operate.
Professional integrity
We are honest about what we observe, careful with the evidence we collect and clear about what needs to improve.
Trusted partnership
We work collaboratively with customers while retaining the independence required to provide credible challenge.
Capability transfer
We help organisations build the confidence, competence and structures required to sustain their own preparedness.
Continuous improvement
We treat exercising as part of an ongoing cycle of learning, implementation and validation.
Why organisations choose GDAK
Specialist expertise
Exercising is a core professional discipline within GDAK, supported by operational experience, established methods and specialist capability.
NCSC assurance
Our status as an NCSC Assured Cyber Incident Exercising Provider demonstrates that our services meet recognised standards for quality and professional delivery.
Experience in complex environments
We understand the demands of government, defence, critical infrastructure and regulated organisations where incidents can have significant operational and strategic consequences.
Flexible engagement
We can support organisations at every stage, from an introductory exercise through to the development of a mature, independent exercising capability.
Lasting value
Our work is designed to leave customers with greater insight, stronger people, improved plans and a clearer route to sustained resilience.
Accreditations & Recognition
Our Experience
Proven track record of success
- Hundreds ofExercises Delivered
- 100+Clients Served
- 20+Years Experience
- 12Industry Sectors
Built for the moments that matter
The value of preparedness is rarely visible during normal operations. It becomes visible when uncertainty increases, decisions become difficult and the organisation must act quickly. GDAK helps ensure that, when those moments arrive, your people are ready, your plans are credible and your organisation can respond with confidence.