● Developed in collaboration with Orange Cyberdefense’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), this fun and immersive format allows anyone to understand the full cycle of an attack in just a few minutes.
● Protocol 404 embodies Orange Cyberdefense’s “Hacking Spirit” DNA: creating disruptive content to raise awareness about cybersecurity issues among as many people as possible.
A suspicious email, one too many clicks, an encrypted file… and the entire company is paralyzed. How would you react if you received a suspicious email? That’s the starting point for “Protocol 404 – Immersive Play,” the demonstration Orange Cyberdefense is presenting at VivaTech 2026. This digital escape game is designed to make cybersecurity accessible to everyone, without any prior training or technical jargon. “We wanted to expand our lineup of demos—which already included a simulation of an attack in a hospital setting—with a more comprehensive and accessible approach, and we wondered if we could offer something more innovative and immersive,” explains Maureen Eydoux, Event and Communications Project Manager at Orange Cyberdefense. Here, the escape game format is fun, immersive, and accessible to groups of two to four participants, allowing them to experience a cyberattack from the inside in an educational way.
Participants must identify the affected systems, understand how ransomware spreads, assess the level of risk, and choose the right actions to contain the attack.
A real-time attack, step by step
The Protocol 404 scenario follows the complete lifecycle of a real-world threat. It all begins with a phishing email containing an encrypted file: “At each stage, we draw on the participants’ critical thinking as they are immersed in a situation that forces them to make a choice in the face of the threat.” Players must then identify the affected systems, understand how the ransomware spreads, assess the level of risk, and choose the right actions to contain the attack.
This experience reflects Orange Cyberdefense’s expertise across the entire threat lifecycle. “Our expertise covers the entire lifecycle: anticipation, threat identification, entity protection, detection, and response. Protocol 404 truly reflects this end-to-end approach, and it’s an essential perspective on cyber risk that we at want to share with the public.” ” The demo was co-developed with experts from Orange Cyberdefense’s CERT, Europe’s leading private Computer Emergency Response Team dedicated to incident response.
A tablet-based escape game format: why it works
Players are presented with clues, tools, choices to make, and time limits to meet. “It’s an escape game in both form and substance, featuring a game interface where several virtual characters explain the situation to the participant and guide them through each stage of the crisis,” explains Maureen Eydoux. At VivaTech, Orange ambassadors are on hand to guide participants throughout the experience, break down the most technical aspects behind each scenario, and explain why a particular response is right or wrong. Unveiled at the International Cybersecurity Forum, where it was deemed particularly immersive by the 130 participating teams, Protocol 404 will soon be adopted by Orange Cyberdefense’s various subsidiaries around the world.
Orange Cyberdefense’s “Hacking Spirit” DNA
This original demonstration is in line with Orange Cyberdefense’s “hacking spirit” philosophy. The idea? To produce disruptive content that captures the general public’s interest. Maureen Eydoux explains: “We try to find things that set Orange Cyberdefense apart and help break down the very tech-focused image that the cybersecurity sector sometimes projects. It’s with this in mind that we produced the documentary film ‘Don’t Go to the Police,’ directed by Ludoc, which has just surpassed one million views on YouTube. The goal is to highlight our innovative spirit and take our mission to raise awareness even further. Building a safer digital world is in Orange Cyberdefense’s DNA.” At VivaTech on June 20—a day dedicated to the general public—Protocol 404 will be available in the Future Ready Society area.
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Photo: Protocol 404 at the FIC
Maureen Eydoux
