Program Equips Business Owners with Education, Resources to Mitigate Cyber Attacks
Florida SBDC Network Headquarters (Pensacola, Fla.) – October marks National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.
According to Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report, 43 percent of cyberattacks target small businesses. To equip small businesses with the education and resources to better protect their business from an attack, the Florida SBDC Network today launched its new Cybersecurity Basics for Small Businesses program.
As part of the program, small businesses may determine their level of risk through the network’s new cybersecurity risk assessment, which is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. Additionally, the network has developed online cybersecurity training to help small businesses learn basic cyber risks, common cyber threats, and strategies to secure their business and respond to an attack.
In addition to training, Florida SBDC professionally certified business consultants are also available to work one-on-one with business owners to help address their individual needs and help develop a cybersecurity plan.
“Small businesses can no longer afford to sit back and hope a cyberattack will not happen to them,” said Michael W. Myhre, CEO of the Florida SBDC Network. “While no program can prevent every attack, taking basic precautions can significantly reduce the risk of a business falling victim. We are very proud of our new service offering and look forward to helping our state’s small businesses better protect their business, employees, customers, and profits.”
The Cybersecurity Basics for Small Businesses program builds on the success of the network’s Byte-Size Program, an educational program made possible by a grant through the Florida Center for Cybersecurity. Through the Byte-Size Program, the network delivered 29 cybersecurity workshops to over 700 small businesses statewide.
Statewide with more than 40 offices, the Florida SBDC Network is a public-private partnership that leverages the resources of higher education and economic development to serve the needs of aspiring and existing small businesses. The mission of the Florida SBDC Network and SBDCs nationally is to provide the resources and expertise for small businesses to grow and succeed.
Small businesses may learn more about the Florida SBDC’s new no-cost cybersecurity service offering by visiting www.FloridaSBDC.org/cyber.
