Lifeless Eyes, Battery-Operated Lungs

“Lifeless eyes dilate at your approach. Battery-operated lungs suck in stale air, hypnotically wheezing with inhuman rhythm. A plastic chest rises and falls. The smooth skin reminds you of your own, only cold and lifeless.” This nightmare, as it turns out, is a battery-operated, remote-controlled mannequin that the U.S. army uses to teach life-saving techniques. They originated at Army Medical Simulation Training Centers, but they worked so well that they are in use throughout the armed forces. They train people in procedures they might actually need to do, so they won’t freeze up in an intense situation. In a blog on the Cyberdefenses web site, author Dan Cohen draws parallels between the mannequins and the technique for managing security breaches and cyber attacks. Implementing an Incident Response Plan might seem grotesque and unfamiliar, but it’s better to swallow your fears and deal with the unthinkable now, than to suffer the consequences later.