Bills combat small business cybersecurity threats

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced Wednesday a pair of measures designed to address small cybersecurity threats.

The SBA Cyber Awareness Act would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop a cyber strategy, examine its IT system components’ country of origin and report on breaches and threats to the Small Business Committees. The Small Business Cyber Training Act creates a training program for small business development centers (SBDC) to prepare counselors in cyber planning assistance.

The SBA, which houses vital personal information for small business owners and lenders, must ensure its systems are safe and the data is protected. This legislation would require the SBA to be more proactive in protecting data and more transparent regarding threats and breaches that occur.

The SBA Cyber Awareness Act is co-sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD).

The Small Business Cyber Training Act is co-sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and has already garnered broad bipartisan support as a cost-effective measure to use existing conferences to train SBDC counselors on cyber strategy.

“Amidst rapid technological advances, shifting global economic trends, and rising foreign adversaries, we must continue to protect our small businesses,” Rubio said. “This includes emerging and evolving cybersecurity threats. My two bills will give small businesses the tools they need to safeguard themselves against the growing cybersecurity risks of the 21st century.”