U.S. Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Dwight Evans (D-PA) introduced Monday the Small Business Cyber Security Training Act, which seeks to aid small businesses in cyberattack preparedness.
The legislators indicated the legislation would assist the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) in enhancing efforts to help small businesses with cybersecurity and strategies to establish a cyber counseling certification program.
“Cyber attacks are ramping up against everything from our critical infrastructure to schools and small businesses, and we must do more to prepare for and mitigate against these attacks,” Garbarino said. “As both a member of the House Small Business Committee and Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Cybersecurity Subcommittee, I have seen how difficult it is for small businesses to arm themselves against these kinds of attacks due to resource constraints. It is my hope that this bipartisan legislation will be an impactful first step to getting small businesses the training they need to protect themselves from cybercriminals.”
Chabot said the recent ransomware and cyberattacks in the United States prove that the federal government needs to be tactically prepared to combat cyber terrorists.
“I am proud to work on this legislation that helps the SBA work with small businesses to better prepare for and prevent cyber attacks,” he said.