Under Cyber Siege: Protecting the Financial Fortress in a Tabletop Simulation

Under Cyber Siege: Protecting the Financial Fortress in a Tabletop Simulation

with Brennen Schmidt Cert PR, CUA

Date: Wednesday, December 10
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
CPD: Up to 3 CPD hours

This executive tabletop simulation puts financial leaders face-to-face with a real-world cyber dilemma: a prolonged, covert attack by an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT). Unlike ransomware incidents, APTs are patient, precise, and often backed by state or organized actors. They infiltrate systems quietly, move laterally, and extract sensitive financial and strategic data and can sometimes go undetected for months.

In this simulation, participants will assume senior leadership roles as a complex APT scenario unfolds targeting financial records, budget planning files, and sensitive correspondence. During this interactive session, Brennen Schmidt will guide you in navigating:

• What early signals executives should watch for, especially when the full picture is still unclear
• What decisions may need to be made when risk to financial credibility becomes public
• How to govern under pressure when the attack exposes strategic vulnerabilities

What you’ll learn

• How APTs differ from other cyber threats and what makes them especially dangerous.
• What warning signs leaders should monitor before, during, and after an incident.
• Ways to strengthen governance and accountability during high-stakes cyber events.

This is not a technology drill. It’s a leadership pressure test. It's an opportunity for CPAs in strategic oversight roles to examine how cyber threats translate into fiduciary, regulatory, and reputational risk.