When Hilltop Bank experienced a multi‑day outage, dozens of Wyoming small businesses found their payroll funds frozen. Rather than waiting for a lecture on technology, owners turned to immediate, practical solutions to protect workers and keep doors open.
Three quick paths to get payroll paid
Business owners reported three common actions:
- Using a secondary bank account that already holds a month’s payroll reserve.
- Temporarily moving funds to a trusted partner credit union that can issue electronic checks.
- Issuing paper checks drawn from a personal account while the primary business account is inaccessible.
Each method allowed employers to meet payroll deadlines without delay, demonstrating the resilience of Wyoming’s entrepreneurial community.
Building true financial redundancy for the future
The most important lesson is simple: never place all operational eggs in one financial basket. After the crisis subsides, owners should add a backup bank account to their Incident Response Playbook. Most banks offer a no‑fee, zero‑minimum business checking or savings option, so setting up a secondary account costs nothing.
Opening an interest‑bearing business savings account at a second institution and keeping one month’s operating and payroll expenses there creates a quick‑shift fund source if the primary bank goes dark again. When selecting a backup bank, owners should ensure the institution meets two criteria:
- It provides easy online access and rapid fund transfers.
- It offers low or no fees and a clear, reliable customer‑service channel.
By documenting these steps in a written recovery playbook, Wyoming businesses can protect employees and operations from future financial disruptions.
Tech industry: stop the fatalistic “if, but when” narrative
Many owners feel discouraged when consultants repeat clichés like, “It’s not a matter of if, but when a cyber attack occurs and puts you out of business.” That fatalistic framing erodes trust and leaves business leaders defensive during a crisis.
CyberWyoming, the state’s nonprofit cybersecurity coalition, argues for a more supportive tone. In its Registered Apprenticeship program and member network, the group pledges to treat every outreach with care and empathy, not a lecture. As Executive Director Laura Baker notes, “Nobody deserves to be lectured during a crisis. Wyoming business owners are resilient, creative, and tough, but navigating third‑party cyber disruptions requires community, empathy, and practical teamwork.”
To aid micro‑businesses, CyberWyoming released a “Coming Back Online” checklist that walks owners through step‑by‑step recovery actions, from confirming account balances to communicating with employees. The checklist is freely available at CyberWyoming.org.
Local takeaways
Wyoming’s business community is already putting these recommendations into practice. Bar Nunn merchants, for example, have begun exploring secondary banking options after the Hilltop disruption. By adopting redundancy now, they aim to shield their workforce from any future banking or cyber‑related outages.
In short, the immediate response—using backup accounts, partner credit unions, or personal checks—keeps payroll on schedule. The longer‑term strategy—establishing a zero‑cost secondary account and a clear recovery playbook—builds financial resilience. And a shift in tech‑industry messaging toward constructive support will help Wyoming’s entrepreneurs stay focused on what matters most: serving their families, employees, and neighborhoods.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
