WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today introduced two bills, the Small Business Cyber Training Act and the SBA Cyber Awareness Act, to protect small businesses from cyber threats.
“There are two types of businesses, those that know they’ve been hacked and those that don’t know they’ve been hacked. Colonial pipeline shows the consequences of being hacked. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable. These bills attempt to ensure that there is a third type of business, one which is never hacked,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“As evidenced by recent cyber attacks on American companies, it is extremely important to protect our small businesses from cybersecurity threats,” said Senator Rubio. “These two bills would give small businesses the tools they need to safeguard themselves against today’s growing cybersecurity risks.”
The Small Business Cyber Training Act would require the SBA to establish a training program for small business development centers (SBDCs) to prepare counselors in cyber planning assistance. Specifically, the bill would require SBDCs to have employees certified in cyber strategy counseling for small businesses. The bill is also co-sponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).
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 bill is also co-sponsored by Senator Jim Risch (R-ID).
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