Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and voice for America’s 33 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, announced that the agency will host a free, virtual National Cyber Summit tomorrow, Oct. 26, 2022. This cybersecurity forum, a first for the agency, will help introduce American small businesses to tools, tips, and resources to bolster their cybersecurity infrastructure in addition to exploring new trends and challenges entrepreneurs are increasingly facing.
Cyberattacks are a growing threat to small businesses and the U.S. economy. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, the cost of cybercrimes against the small business community reached $2.4 billion in 2021.
Small businesses are attractive targets because they have information that cybercriminals want, and they typically lack the security infrastructure of larger businesses.
According to a SBA survey, 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyberattack. Yet many businesses cannot afford professional IT solutions, have limited time to devote to cybersecurity, or do not know where to begin.
During the SBA Cyber Summit, you’ll learn how to adequately protect your digital systems for storing, accessing, and disseminating data and information.
“We are energized to bring actual solutions to the table for America’s small businesses, which continue to inspire us all with hope and resilience,” said SBA Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Mark Madrid.
“America’s small businesses are pivoting to digital technologies and online strategies at historic rates to reach new customers and improve operational efficiencies, but that pivot has also exposed them to significant new threats from cyberattacks,” said SBA Administrator Guzman. “Our SBA team has mobilized to support them against these potentially disruptive threats with cybersecurity resources and trainings across our resource partner networks, as well as through our recently launched Small Business Digital Alliance. Launching the SBA’s first annual Cybersecurity Summit will help us build on that work and ensure America’s 33 million small businesses and innovative startups can pivot safely online and grow resilient businesses.”
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Comprised of digestible and compact segments, attendees will have the opportunity to network and access practical tips, problem-solving strategies, industry trends, threat avoidance, and small business testimonials in order to learn how to help small business owners defend themselves against cyber-attacks.
Event speakers include:
- Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
- Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft
- Kiersten Todt, Chief of Staff, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Kimberly Mentzell, Director of Cybersecurity and Aerospace, Maryland Department of Commerce
- Jacob Blacksten, Digital Solutions Manager, Delaware Small Business Development Center
- Earl Gregorich, Area Manager & Business Consultant, Greenville Area Small Business Development Centers
- Joshua Lawton, Director of Engagement (Americas), Global Cyber Alliance
- Scott Anderson, Executive Director, Forge Institute
- Eric Toler, Executive Director, Georgia Cyber Center
- Ashley Podhradsky, Associate Professor of Digital Forensics, Dakota State University
- Jennifer Gold, Director of the Board, InfraGard New York Chapter
- Arthur Plews, Chief of Staff, U.S. Small Business Administration
- Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Entrepreneurial Development
- Jennifer Kim, Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Field Operations
- Larry Stubblefield, Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Veterans Business Development
- Bruce Purdy, Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Small Development Centers
- Jack Bienko, Senior Innovation Advisor, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Entrepreneurial Development
- Aikta Marcoulier, Regional Administrator – Rocky Mountain region, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Field Operations
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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