Closing Script and Debrief

Immediate Session Wrap-Up

Transition from Response to Debrief

“Excellent work, team. You’ve successfully [outcome summary] and contained the [Malmon Name] threat. Let’s step out of character for a moment and reflect on what just happened.”

Quick Emotional Check-In

“How is everyone feeling after that experience?”

Allow 30 seconds for immediate reactions
Acknowledge stress, excitement, or confusion
Validate all responses as normal

Immediate Debrief Questions

Surprise and Discovery

“Let’s go around quickly - what’s one thing that surprised you about this incident?”

Sample responses and follow-ups:

“How sophisticated the attack was” → “That’s realistic - modern threats are very advanced”
“How much we had to coordinate” → “Incident response is definitely a team sport”
“How fast things escalated” → “Time pressure is one of the biggest challenges in real incidents”

Real-World Application

“What’s one technique or insight you could use in your actual work?”

Encourage specific, actionable responses:

“I’d pay more attention to user reports” → “Great - users often see problems first”
“I’d check for process injection indicators” → “That’s exactly the kind of detective work that catches advanced threats”
“I’d coordinate better with other teams” → “Communication is often the difference between success and failure”

Learning Interest

“What would you want to learn more about after this experience?”

Note interests for potential follow-up:

Technical skills (malware analysis, network monitoring, etc.)
Process skills (incident response, team coordination, etc.)
Business skills (stakeholder management, risk assessment, etc.)

MalDex Entry Creation

Collaborative Documentation

“Let’s capture this incident for the community MalDex. This helps other teams learn from your experience.”

Group MalDex Entry

“Help me fill this out:”

INCIDENT REPORT: [Group creates memorable name]
Response Team: [All participant first names]
Malmon Encountered: [Name and Type]
Organization Context: [What they chose to protect]
Discovery Method: [How they identified the threat]
Key Evidence: [Most important clues]
Response Strategy: [What worked]
Team Coordination: [How they worked together]
Outcome: [Final Network Security Status and result]
Key Learning: [Most important insight]
Next Time: [What they'd do differently]
Real-World Application: [How this applies to actual work]

Facilitation During Documentation

Keep it moving: Don’t get bogged down in details
Encourage group input: Multiple voices contributing
Capture essence: Focus on key learnings, not comprehensive notes
Make it memorable: Help create names and phrases that stick

Community Connection and Resources

Community Integration Through Questions

“What interests you about continuing this kind of collaborative cybersecurity learning?”

Based on their responses, offer relevant connections:

If they want to stay connected with teammates: “Would you like to exchange contact info to continue these discussions?”

If they’re interested in more scenarios: “There are [X] other Malmons to encounter - what kinds of threats would you want to investigate next?”

If they show facilitation interest: “Are any of you interested in facilitating a session for your colleagues? You’ve seen how this works firsthand.”

If they want ongoing learning: “What would help you apply what you learned today in your actual work?”

Next Steps Encouragement

“Consider facilitating a session yourself - you now understand how this works, and your colleagues would benefit from this experience.”

“The hardest part is the first session, and you’ve just seen that it’s really about asking good questions and facilitating discovery.”

Extended Debrief Options (If Time Allows)

Character Reflection

If group is engaged and time permits:

“Before we fully step out of character, let’s reflect on your incident response personas:”

Character Development Questions

“How did your character change during this incident?”
“What did your character learn about themselves?”
“How would your character approach the next incident differently?”
“What aspects of your character would you want to develop further?”

Role Effectiveness

“How did your role contribute to the team’s success?”
“What would your role do differently in a future incident?”
“How did the different roles complement each other?”

Technical Deep Dive

If group wants more technical discussion:

Malmon Analysis

“What made [Malmon Name] particularly challenging?”
“How do the type effectiveness mechanics reflect real-world cybersecurity?”
“What other threats share similar characteristics?”

Real-World Connections

“How does this scenario compare to actual incidents you’ve heard about?”
“What tools and techniques from your real work apply here?”
“What gaps does this highlight in current security practices?”

Process Reflection

If group is interested in incident response methodology:

Coordination Analysis

“What worked well about your team coordination?”
“Where did communication break down or could improve?”
“How would you structure incident response differently?”

Decision-Making Review

“What were the critical decision points in your response?”
“How did you handle uncertainty and incomplete information?”
“What would you do differently knowing what you know now?”

Handling Different Outcomes

Highly Successful Sessions

“Your team demonstrated excellent incident response capabilities. You worked together effectively, used each role’s strengths, and adapted to challenges as they emerged.”

Additional elements: - Highlight specific successes and techniques - Encourage them to share their approach with others - Suggest they consider facilitating sessions - Connect to advanced scenarios or challenges

Challenged Sessions

“Incident response is inherently difficult, and you faced a realistic scenario with real constraints. Every security professional learns from experiences like this.”

Additional elements: - Focus on learning rather than performance - Highlight what they did accomplish - Normalize the difficulty and complexity - Encourage continued engagement and learning

Mixed Outcome Sessions

“You experienced the realistic complexity of incident response - some things worked well, others were more challenging. That’s exactly what real incidents look like.”

Additional elements: - Balance acknowledgment of successes and challenges - Connect to real-world incident response experiences - Encourage reflection on both effective and less effective elements - Frame as valuable preparation for real incidents

Common Closing Challenges

Group Wants to Continue Playing

“I love the enthusiasm! Here are some options for continued engagement:”

Suggest forming ongoing group
Provide information about other scenarios
Connect to local cybersecurity communities
Offer resources for self-facilitation

Group Feels Overwhelmed

“It’s normal to feel overwhelmed - real incident response is complex and stressful. The important thing is that you now have a framework for thinking about these challenges.”

Emphasize learning over performance
Provide simple next steps
Offer follow-up resources
Encourage gradual skill building

Technical Disputes Continue

“These kinds of technical discussions are exactly what happens in real incident response teams. Different perspectives and expertise create better outcomes.”

Acknowledge value of different viewpoints
Focus on learning rather than being “right”
Suggest continued discussion offline
Frame as realistic preparation

Participants Want Individual Feedback

“I’m happy to chat briefly with anyone who wants specific feedback.”

Offer brief individual conversations
Focus on strengths and growth opportunities
Provide relevant resources
Encourage continued learning

Post-Session IM Self-Reflection

What Worked Well

Which questions generated the best discussions?
What moments had highest engagement?
How effective was the chosen Malmon for this group?
What facilitation techniques were most successful?

What Could Improve

Where did energy drop or engagement lag?
What technical concepts needed better explanation?
How could transitions have been smoother?
What would better serve this type of group?

For Next Time

What would you do differently with similar groups?
What additional resources would be helpful?
How could preparation be improved?
What follow-up would benefit participants?

Remember: The closing is participants’ lasting impression of the experience. A strong, positive closing encourages continued engagement with cybersecurity learning and the Malware & Monsters community.