Senate bill aims to increase state-level cyber support for small businesses – MeriTalk

Sen. Maggie Hassan, DNH, introduced legislation on Aug. 4 to strengthen the cybersecurity posture of small businesses by funding small business development centers that help businesses with security.

The Small Business Cybersecurity Act establishes a federal program to provide direct assistance to the Small Business Development Centers to create or continue cybersecurity programs for small businesses. Small Business Development Centers can use the funds to provide cybersecurity training to small business employees and administer small business cybersecurity posture assessments.

The centers were created by the US Small Business Administration to provide information tools to support business startups and expand existing businesses.

“As small businesses continue to modernize and do more business online, the risk of cyberattacks will become more pressing,” Senator Hassan said in a press release. “I encourage my colleagues to pass this legislation to help protect small businesses across the country from cyberattacks and help them thrive…”

“Cyberattacks can be devastating to small businesses, and it’s important for small businesses to have the tools to protect against these threats,” said Liz Gray, executive director of the New Hampshire Small Business Development Council.

If Sen. Hassan’s bill becomes law, the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center’s cybersecurity assessment program — which began in 2020 — would be strengthened with additional funding, according to the senator’s office.

The New Hampshire Small Business Development Center’s Cyber ​​Security Assessment Program is helping New Hampshire small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity through funding authorized by the CARES Act. New funding from Senator Hassan’s bill will continue to help small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity.

“I am pleased that Senator Hassan has now introduced this bill to help us continue our efforts. This program is essential to giving our nation’s small businesses more tools to prepare for cyberattacks,” Gray said.