Cloud Range Powers Cyber Tatanka 2025: A Premier Live-Fire Cybersecurity Training Event
Cloud Range Powers Cyber Tatanka 2025:
A Premier Live-Fire Cybersecurity Training Event
For the second year in a row, Cloud Range proudly partnered with Cyber Strong Nebraska to present Cyber Tatanka, one of the nation’s most advanced live-fire cybersecurity two-week training exercises. Held June 2–13 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Cyber Tatanka 2025 brought together an unmatched coalition of cybersecurity professionals, military units, academic institutions, and civilian organizations—all united in the mission to protect critical infrastructure and strengthen national cyber readiness.
What Is Cyber Tatanka?
Named after the Lakota word tatanka (bison), a symbol of strength and resilience, Cyber Tatanka was born from the understanding that today’s interconnected systems must be protected with the same dedication and preparation as any vital resource.
The event is led by Cyber Strong Nebraska in partnership with the Nebraska National Guard, the University of Nebraska, and dozens of public and private partners. The two-week training exercise is conducted in a closed, unclassified virtual environment, simulating real-world cyber threats and testing how incident response teams react, communicate, and recover.
What Makes Cyber Tatanka Unique?
Cyber Tatanka stands apart from traditional cybersecurity exercises through its non-DoDIN (Department of Defense Information Network) design, which makes it more accessible and applicable to civilian and domestic incident response teams.
Why it’s different:
Non-DoDIN Cyber Range: Operates outside classified networks, enabling broader collaboration and real-world applicability.
Modeled for Domestic Operations (DOMOPs): Designed to simulate cyberattacks on public infrastructure, exactly how they would occur in a domestic setting.
Interoperability in Action: Focused on strengthening operational partnerships between civilians, NGOs (non-government organizations), government entities, and the Department of Defense.
Partnered Funding Model: Federally supported and co-funded by stakeholders from critical infrastructure sectors.
Academia + Industry + Military: Structured learning environments and live-fire simulations for knowledge transfer and applied skill-building.
This model of integrated cyber defense training bridges the gap between public and private sectors, making Cyber Tatanka one of the most practical and scalable models for national cyber readiness.
Who Participates in Cyber Tatanka?
Cyber Tatanka 2025 brought together more than 200 participants from around the globe, offering unmatched diversity in skill sets, perspectives, and collaborative opportunities.
International Partners
Countries Represented: Czech Republic, Austria, Ukraine, Chile, Armenia
U.S. States & Military Services
States Represented: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Vermont
Armed Services: U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force - all under the auspices of the National Guard
Public Sector & Government Agencies
Levels of Government: Federal, State, County, and Local
Agencies from emergency management, law enforcement, energy regulation, and public health
Academic Institutions
University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL)
University of Nebraska–Omaha (UNO)
Wayne State College, Nebraska
Educational Service Unit 3 (La Vista, NE), and others
Private Sector & Critical Infrastructure
14 Civilian Organizations
Representing 12 Critical Infrastructure Sectors, including:
Energy
Finance
Transportation
Water Systems
Communications
Healthcare, and more
Cloud Range: Driving Hands-On Cyber Simulation
At the heart of the training was Cloud Range’s immersive cyber range platform, which enabled realistic, live-fire cyberattack simulations throughout the two-week experience. Teams faced a new type of attack each day—ransomware, insider threats, and more—and had to execute full-cycle responses including detection, containment, eradication, and recovery.
“Ideally, when participants leave Cyber Tatanka, their incident response plan is stronger,” said Ryan Carlson, Executive Director of Cyber Strong Nebraska and Lead Technical Planner of Cyber Tatanka. “If they face a real-world cyberattack, they’ll know exactly what to do because they’ve already done it—under pressure.”
Through Cloud Range’s simulations, participants gained:
Hands-on experience with tools, frameworks, and processes
Realistic incident response coordination between diverse teams
Meaningful skill development and resume-building for students and professionals alike
This risk-free yet high-stress environment gave every participant the opportunity to test themselves under simulated attack conditions—with zero real-world consequences but maximum impact on preparedness.
Strengthening the Cyber Workforce Pipeline
This year marked the first time university students participated, including eight from the UNL School of Computing. This access allowed students to connect with professionals across sectors, apply their learning in real-time, and gain exposure to live-fire exercises typically reserved for experienced practitioners.
“Cyber Tatanka is a differentiator for those entering the cybersecurity workforce,” said Carlson. “It’s not just about theory—it’s about applying that theory in a realistic scenario with real consequences.” –Ryan Carlson, Executive Director of Cyber Strong Nebraska and Lead Technical Planner of Cyber Tatanka
The Future of Cyber Defense: Cyber Tatanka 2026
As threats continue to evolve, so must the people and systems that defend against them. Cyber Tatanka 2026 is already scheduled for June 1–12, promising another powerful opportunity to build real-world experience, relationships, and readiness.
For Cloud Range, Cyber Tatanka isn’t just a partner engagement—it’s a mission-aligned example of how immersive simulation can improve real-world outcomes.
“Your body won’t go where your mind hasn’t been,” said Tim Pospisil, Director of Security Technology Outreach and President of the Cyber Strong Nebraska board. “That’s what we’re building here—muscle memory, under pressure, before it counts.”
Learn More
Explore Cloud Range’s simulation-based cyber training: cloudrangecyber.com
Read our case study highlighting how the National Guard of Nebraska and Cloud Range Improve Cyber Readiness
Visit Cyber Tatanka
