U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino’s (R-NY) bill to provide Small Business Development Centers with training to help small business owners with their cybersecurity needs was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 2.
Noting that nearly 50 percent of cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses, Rep. Garbarino said small businesses are targeted because they often lack the technical knowledge needed to maintain cybersecurity defenses, which can result in steep financial losses or loss of intellectual property.
“This bill combats this by helping Small Business Development Centers become better equipped to assist small businesses with their cybersecurity and cyber strategy needs,” he said.
Rep. Garbarino sponsored the bipartisan Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2021, H.R. 4515, on July 19, with U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA) signing on as the lead original cosponsor.
“As both a member of the Small Business Committee and Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation, I have seen how difficult it is for small businesses to arm themselves against these kinds of attacks,” Rep. Garbarino said in support of his bill on the House floor. “This bill provides much-needed resources to help small businesses improve their cyber preparedness in the face of rising threats.”
H.R. 4515 would create a cyber counseling certification program at Small Business Development Centers to expand the training needed for employees to help small business owners with their cybersecurity issues. The bill would authorize the Small Business Administration to reimburse development centers for employee certification costs up to $350,000 per fiscal year, according to a bill summary.