Senator Maggie Hassan, DN.H., introduced legislation on August 4 that aims to strengthen the cybersecurity posture of small businesses by providing funding to Small Business Development Centers that will help businesses with security.
The Small Business Cybersecurity Act would establish a federal program to provide direct grants to Small Business Development Centers to establish or continue cybersecurity programs for small businesses. Small Business Development Centers can use the funds to provide cybersecurity training for small business employees and administer small business cybersecurity posture reviews.
The centers were created by the US Small Business Administration to provide informational tools to support start-ups and help existing businesses expand.
“As small businesses continue to modernize and do more work online, the risk of cyberattacks becomes more serious,” Senator Hassan said in a press release. “I encourage my colleagues to pass this bill so that Small Business Development Centers … across the country can continue to work to protect small businesses from cyberattacks and help them thrive. “
“A cyberattack can seriously debilitate a small business’s operations, and it’s critical that small businesses have the tools to avoid these risks,” said Liz Gray, state 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 Review program — which began in 2020 — would be strengthened with additional funding support, the senator’s office said.
The New Hampshire Small Business Development Center’s Cybersecurity Review Program, with the support of funding authorized through the CARES Act, is helping New Hampshire’s small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity. New funding from the bill by Sen. Hassan will ensure the program continues to help small businesses strengthen their cyber security posture.
“I am thrilled that Senator Hassan is now introducing this bill to help us continue our efforts. This program is critical to getting our state’s small businesses additional tools to prepare for cyberattacks,” Gray said.
