WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that the agency will host a cyber summit in October 2023. The free cybersecurity series supports America's 33 million small businesses with tools, tips, and resources from multiple federal agencies to bolster their cybersecurity infrastructure, in addition to exploring new trends and challenges entrepreneurs are increasingly facing.
"Digital tools represent some of the most exciting revenue growth opportunities for American small businesses – from the $5.2 trillion global e-commerce marketplace to cutting-edge AI and other digital tools," said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. "As small businesses increasingly rely on technology to start and grow their businesses, our SBA Cyber Summit and our work modernizing the SBA will help more entrepreneurs make the digital pivot safely by leveraging SBA resources and private sector solutions to defend their businesses, their customers, and their livelihoods from the ever-evolving threats from cyber criminals."
“The rapidly evolving and interconnected world continues to present new challenges for small business owners, and it is our objective to empower them with the proper tools. Through our SBA Cyber Summit, the goal is to bolster the confidence and the know-how of our resilient U.S. small businesses to deal with these cyber challenges head-on,” said SBA Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Mark Madrid.
Registration for the event is open to all and free. Sign up at
https://bit.ly/SBACyberSummit2023.
About the SBA’s 2nd Annual Small Business Cyber Summit
The summit will feature various speakers, including SBA Administrator Guzman, SBA Associate Administrator Madrid, SBA Resource Partners, Small Business Development Centers, the SBA Small Business Digital Alliance, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, business chambers, state government partners, experts from the public/private sectors, major technology platforms, and award-winning business coaches.
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.
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 $3.31 billion in 2022.
Small businesses are attractive targets because they have information that cybercriminals want, and they typically lack the security infrastructure of larger businesses.
Surveys have shown that a majority of small business owners feel their businesses are 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. The 2nd Annual SBA Cyber Summit will address these formidable challenges with turnkey solutions.
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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.