The Challenge: Uniting the MRSI of Regional Banks around Cybersecurity

For Crédit Agricole, with its decentralised model of autonomous Regional Banks, raising cybersecurity awareness requires a special orchestration. CASIHA (Centre d'Appui aux Services Informatiques de l'Habitat Agricole), the structure supporting the Banks on their IT and cyber issues, faces a strategic challenge: how do you create a strong, collective moment when the Managers of Information Systems Risk and Security (MRSI) are scattered across the entire country?

As the organiser of Sensiday, the annual flagship event on cyber awareness in the Crédit Agricole world, CASIHA was looking for an innovative format to virtually gather its MRSI: a playful and engaging cyber competition, manageable even with packed schedules.

The Constraints of a Network of Regional Banks

Challenges of the Decentralised Model

• Autonomy of Banks: each Bank has its own organisation, priorities, and constraints

• Geographical Dispersion: MRSI spread throughout the national territory

• Time Constraints: engage without blocking half a day in already busy schedules

• Technical Accessibility: avoid barriers (accounts, installations, varying IT configurations)

• Remote Emulation: create a group dynamic without physical presence

Strategic Imperatives for CASIHA

• Unite the MRSI Community: strengthen ties between cyber professionals from different Banks

• Maximise Participation in a short timeframe (in the spirit of Sensiday)

• Create a Fair Competition between Banks of different sizes and maturities

• Measure Impact objectively for reporting to the Banks

• Create a Memorable Moment that fits into the Group's awareness strategy

🎯 BANKING NETWORK CHALLENGE

In a federal model like Crédit Agricole's, collective events are essential to create a common cyber culture, share best practices among Banks, and strengthen the sense of belonging to a network.

The Solution: A Live CyberCup Twitch Style

Brain Security designed "The Battle of the MRSI", a 1-hour online event combining gamified competition and live interaction in a format inspired by Twitch streams.

Architecture of the CyberCup Online

Optimised Competition Format

• Duration: 60 minutes including warm-up, competition rounds, final, and podium

• Ultra-Simple Connection: one-off ephemeral link, no login required

• Real-time Quiz with visible timer and dynamic live ranking

• Live Animation by a Brain collaborator in Twitch format (comments, encouragements, explanations)

Engaging Game Mechanics

• Questions tailored to the MRSI level (balance between technicality and accessibility)

• Immediate Scoring with updated ranking after each question

• Progressive Rounds increase in difficulty

• Spectacular finale to decide the podium

Motivating Reward The winner receives a Brain kiosk for a year for their organisation, creating a tangible and valuable stake beyond the mere competition.

End-to-End Operational Run

Preparation Phase (D-10)

• Save-the-date with presentation of the concept and stakes

• Communication Kit provided (emails, visuals, presentation texts)

• Educational Resources shared in advance (optional)

Mobilisation Phase (D-3 to D-1)

• Automatic Reminders at D-3, D-2, and D-1

• Access Link Reminders with connection instructions

• Teasing on the format and rewards

Day D: The Live Event (60 minutes)

• T0-10min: warm-up and interface familiarisation

• T0-40min: competition rounds with live ranking

• T40-55min: final among the best

• T55-60min: announcement of the podium and symbolic awarding of prizes

Capitalisation Phase (D+1)

• Replay of the event available for absentees

• Export of Results (CSV) with detailed scores and participation statistics

• Synopsis for internal communication

📊 EVENT RESULTS

• 100+ MRSI connected simultaneously

• 400+ games played in 20 minutes of pure competition

• 1 hour of collective engagement without loss of attention

• Winner rewarded with a yearly Brain kiosk for their organisation

The Results: Massive Participation and Successful Emulation

Exceptional Quantitative Performance

The event far exceeded initial expectations:

• 100+ simultaneous participants: exceptional connection rate for a remote format

• 400+ games played: sustained pace demonstrating participant engagement

• Low dropout rate: the MRSI stayed till the end despite the duration

  
  

Qualitative and Relational Impact

Beyond the game metrics, the CyberCup generated organisational benefits:

For the MRSI of the Banks

• A moment of conviviality in a daily life often isolated within their Bank

• Informal Benchmark of their level against peers from other regional Banks

• Updating Knowledge on recent threats in the banking context

• Virtual Networking via chat and exchanges during the event

For CASIHA and the Banks

• Uniting the MRSI Community of the Crédit Agricole network around a shared moment

• Visibility of Cyber Engagement to the Banks' Executives

• Objective Data on the level of awareness in the network (average scores, success rates)

• Replicable Format for other populations (CIO, DPO, business teams)

• Enhancement of Sensiday: demonstrates innovation in awareness formats

For the Winner and their Bank

• Recognition within the Crédit Agricole professional network

• Annual Brain Kiosk: a tangible tool for raising awareness for the winning Bank

• Internal Valuation to the management and teams within the Bank

Participant Testimonials

Post-event feedback highlights the unique experience:

• "Refreshing format, far from the classic webinars"

• "The live animation creates a real dynamic, you feel together"

• "The real-time ranking adds a fun aspect without stress"

• "I learned while having fun, and that's a change!"

🎯 LESSON FOR CISOs

"Synchronous formats create a sense of event that asynchronous modules cannot replicate. To mobilise dispersed populations, the 'live' effect and the spectacular dimension are essential."

Why the CyberCup Online Works

Key Success Factors

1. Minimal Entry Barrier No account to create, no app to download, no configuration. Just a simple click on a link and you're in. This simplicity eliminates 90% of the usual frictions in online events.

2. Calibrated Duration 60 minutes is enough to create a memorable event, but short enough to fit in the schedule of a CISO or security manager. The "lunch break + 15min" format works perfectly.

3. Live Animation = Engagement Unlike a standalone quiz, live hosting creates:

• A group dynamic even remotely

• Contextualised educational explanations

• A show dimension that keeps attention

• Enhanced memorisation (we remember the host's comments)

4. Healthy and Rewarding Competition Real-time ranking stimulates engagement without creating paralyzing stress. The tangible reward (annual kiosk) adds a concrete challenge.

5. Zero IT Load For the organising teams, it's turnkey:

• No infrastructure to provision

• No technical support to ensure

• No connection logistics

• Brain manages everything from tech to animation

  
  

Adaptability of the Format

The CyberCup Online adapts to different contexts:

By Target Audience

• CISOs and cyber teams (technical format)

• Managers and N+1 (focus on governance and responsibilities)

• General public employees (maximal simplification)

• Specific business populations (finance, HR, commercial)

By Ambition

• Discovery Format (30-40 participants): first experience, testing the concept

• Standard Format (50-100 participants): significant event

• Large Scale Format (100-300 participants): major corporate event

By Recurrence

• Single Event: launch of a cyber initiative, Sensiday, Cyber Security Month

• Themed Series: Quarterly CyberCup with changing focuses (phishing Q1, ransomware Q2, etc.)

• Annual Championship: local qualification then national/international final (e.g., annual Battle of the MRSI)

Extending the Impact After the Event

Capitalising on the Created Dynamic

Post-Event Communication

• Podium announcement with photos/names of winners (prior consent)

• Intranet article recounting the event with testimonials

• Video replay for absentees and archives

Educational Exploitation

• Analysis of the most missed questions = priority awareness areas

• Data export for CISO reporting (participation rate by department, average scores)

• Identification of champions for cyber ambassador roles

Continuity of Engagement

• Offer participants access to the Brain platform independently

• Organise monthly mini-challenges to maintain momentum

• Create a community (Slack, Teams) to share best practices

💡 STRATEGIC ADVICE

Announcing the next CyberCup at the end of the event creates anticipation and transforms a one-off event into a awaited gathering. Regularity (e.g., Quarterly CyberCup) maximises long-term impact.

Want to Organise Your CyberCup Online?

The CyberCup format adapts to all organisation sizes and types of populations: subsidiary CISOs, regional Bank cyber experts, dispersed business teams. Brain Security handles the entire organisation, from preparation to live animation.

Ideal for events like Sensiday or Cyber Security Month, the CyberCup creates a significant moment that unites your cyber communities.

Next Steps:

• Organise Your CyberCup Online → brainsecurity.io/cybercup-online

• Talk with our team to define the optimal format according to your objectives