27 Feb Preparing for the Unthinkable: A Nationwide Blackout Exercise at ASIS Europe 2026

By Hans Verdoodt

At ASIS Europe 2026, security, risk, and resilience leaders will take part in a unique, high impact desktop exercise that will explore one of the most consequential scenarios facing modern societies: a sudden, nationwide electrical blackout.

Developed jointly by ELIA and ENGIE, this immersive exercise will place participants in the fictional country of Middlestan, where a catastrophic failure of the national power grid will unfold in real time. What begins as a disruption in energy supply will quickly cascade across healthcare services, transportation networks, telecommunications, financial systems, industry, retail, government, and Safety & security services and testing the limits of preparedness and coordination across sectors.

The scenario will be driven by a credible hybrid threat, combining cyber compromise of SCADA environments with coordinated physical disruptions to critical infrastructure. Through a series of carefully designed, timed injects, participants will be challenged to assess evolving risks, prioritize competing demands, and make strategic decisions under pressure—reflecting the realities faced by security leaders during large scale crises.

In line with ASIS’s focus on integrated security management, the exercise will emphasize interdependencies and the necessity of cross sector and interagency collaboration. Participants will confront the operational, strategic, and reputational challenges of maintaining continuity of essential services, while also managing public communication in an environment shaped by uncertainty, misinformation, and high public expectations.

Designed for security executives, resilience professionals, and policymakers, this session will go beyond incident response. It will explore leadership under stress, cyber physical convergence, crisis governance, and organizational resilience. Insights generated during the exercise will inform broader discussions on national preparedness, infrastructure investment priorities, and policy development.

This Middlestan blackout scenario reflects the core mission of ASIS: advancing security through preparedness, collaboration, and professional excellence. For those seeking to strengthen readiness, challenge assumptions, and engage with peers facing shared risks, this is a must attend experience at ASIS Europe 2026.

This workshop is scheduled to take place from 10:40 – 12:20 on 24 March. For access to this workshop, register for a leadership pass.