Wildfires in California are wreaking havoc, and destroying homes and communities. Thank you to all of the firefighters and forest service personnel bravely working to keep everyone safe.
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Boosting Small Business Cybersecurity
In the last 12 months, hackers have breached half of all small businesses in the United States, according to the 2016 State of SMB Cybersecurity Report.
Even with that staggering statistic, a recent survey shows that 87 percent of small business owners don’t feel that they’re at risk of a cybersecurity attack, and 1 in 3 small businesses don’t have the tools in place — firewalls, antivirus software, spam filters or data-encryption tools — to protect themselves.
In order to better support our small business community, this week the House will vote on NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act of 2017 (H.R. 2015). This measure directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to provide small businesses with guidance to help them identify, assess, manage, and reduce their cybersecurity risks.
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Small Business Innovation
Supporting small business innovation and research is vital to our nation. The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Improvements Act of 2017 (H.R. 2763) will make these vital programs more efficient.
It will update and improve the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs.
Background: The SBIR aims to help small businesses conduct research and development projects. The STTR program works to expand the public/private sector partnership to bring more opportunities for small businesses and nonprofit research institutions. STTR’s most important role is to bridge the gap between science and resulting commercial innovations.