Main Street Monday – House Passes SBA Cyber Security Bills

By Mary Miller
Contributing Editor, Main Street Monday

Main Street Monday – House Passes SBA Cyber Security Bills

The SBA Cyber Awareness Act and the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act, sponsored by Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO) and Steve Chabot (R-OH), were approved by the House on July 15, 2019. The two bills aim to improve SBA cybersecurity and assist small businesses facing cyber-attacks.

“Cybersecurity is one of the biggest threats to our economy and small businesses,” says Crow. “Our businesses are the backbone of our economy but are increasingly the target of cyber-attacks and theft of small business data and intellectual property.”

The SBA Cyber Awareness Act will require the SBA to produce an annual report detailing cybersecurity issues. The report will include: an assessment of IT activity, an outline of where equipment is being manufactured, details about potential cyber threats, and any incidents which occurred after submission of the previous year’s report.

This legislation will also require the SBA to notify Congress and small businesses of any cyber incidents and/or attacks on the SBA. The SBA will be required to inform Congress within a week and small business owners within 30 days.

The Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act will require all small business development center workers to become certified in cybersecurity measures in order to aid small businesses in responding and working through cyber-attacks.

According to Chabot, The Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act will “establish a cyber counseling certification program in lead Small Business Development Centers to provide specific, free-of-charge cyber training for small businesses.”