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The U.S. Small Business Administration will host its first small business cyber summit on Oct. 25 from 12- 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Experts will share best practices and resources to help small businesses protect against cyber-attacks.
“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,” SBA Administrator Casillas Guzman said in a written statement.
News of the summit comes more than a week after a cyberattack on Suffolk County, disrupting its ability to deliver services and pointing to the need for cyber-defense. These attacks are a growing threat to small businesses and the nation’s economy. The cost of cybercrimes against the small businesses hit $2.4 billion in 2021, according to the Internet Crime Report from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Because they often lack the security infrastructure of larger businesses, small businesses make for attractive targets because they have the kind of information wanted by cybercriminals .
And many small businesses recognize that risk. An SBA survey found that 88% of owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyberattack. Yet many cannot afford professional IT solutions, have limited time to devote to cybersecurity or unsure as to where to begin to protect their businesses.
“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,” Guzman said in the statement.
The summit features 10 segments that offer practical tips, problem-solving strategies, case studies, industry trends, threat avoidance and employee-skills training.
Invited guests include experts from the SBA, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Small Business Development Centers, business chambers, state government partners and more.
Registration for the event is open to all and free. Sign up at www.bit.ly/SBACyberSummit.
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Image and article originally from libn.com. Read the original article here.