In recognition of the International Day of Mastering Conversations That Matter on April 17th, CyberWyoming is highlighting the critical role of communication in cybersecurity preparedness through a new partnership with Little Mountain Strategies, offering a free tabletop exercise to the Cybersecurity Competition for Small Businesses participants.

Tabletop exercises create space for the kinds of conversations that matter most: how decisions will be made, who needs to be involved, and how to communicate clearly under pressure. By working through realistic scenarios in advance, organizations can build confidence and clarity before a real incident occurs.

“Companies, both large and small, need to have a plan to address major IT incidents before they happen. Identifying key systems, stakeholders, and potential impacts are paramount to security, stability, and an organization’s reputation,” said Jason Armstrong, Founder of Little Mountain Strategies.

Little Mountain Strategies, a Wyoming-based firm providing leadership development, facilitation, and organizational strategy services, has joined CyberWyoming as both a member and sponsor of the Cybersecurity Competition for Small Businesses. The collaboration underscores the importance of preparedness, decision-making, and effective communication when responding to complex challenges, including cybersecurity incidents.

By offering the one-hour tabletop incident response exercise designed to walk participants through a realistic IT crisis scenario of their choosing, Little Mountain Strategies ultimately guides them in identifying decision points, communication challenges, and response strategies. An example of a tabletop incident response exercise could be walking participants through a scenario of a phishing attack that ultimately places sensitive information on the dark web.

“Having seen this type of phishing incident affect a small business firsthand, we know how disruptive it can be. Little Mountain Strategies’ offer for competition participants, whether phishing or another incident of their choice, is incredibly valuable. Tabletop exercises give business owners a low-risk way to think through their response without the added pressure of a real crisis,” said Laura Baker, Executive Director of CyberWyoming.

The tabletop format provides a structured, low-risk environment for business leaders to explore how they would respond in a crisis, including how to communicate with employees, clients, and stakeholders. These exercises are increasingly recognized as a key tool in helping organizations strengthen resilience before an incident occurs.

“I’ve seen organizations “make it up as they go” during a crisis. When this happens, organizations take more time to respond to those immediate threats. Having a plan in place not only helps resolve these issues more quickly, they protect the company from reputational or even legal harm,” said Armstrong.

The initiative aligns with the goals of the International Day of Mastering Conversations That Matter, which emphasizes the value of clear, thoughtful communication in navigating complex challenges.