Shaheen Joins Risch to Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Small Businesses' Access to Cyber Security Resources
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and a bipartisan group of senators in introducing the Small Business Cyber Resiliency Act to provide small businesses with improved access to top-of-the-line cybersecurity tools and information.
“More than 99% of businesses in New Hampshire are small businesses, and Americans have started a record number of new businesses over the last two years. This vital piece of the American economy needs to prioritize cybersecurity but may not have access to the necessary resources. This bill aims to provide some of these vital resources,” said Shaheen. “I’m proud to work across the aisle with Senator Risch on the Small Business Cyber Resiliency Act to help provide our small businesses with the tools they need to grow and create more good jobs.”
Along with Shaheen and Risch, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) also cosponsored this legislation.
The Small Business Cyber Resiliency Act:
- Ensures cybersecurity training and resources for small businesses are effective, accessible and relevant;
- Establishes a Central Small Business Cybersecurity Unit at the Small Business Administration (SBA) to oversee the agency’s cybersecurity efforts;
- Creates a publicly available clearinghouse for small business cybersecurity resources at the SBA;
- Enhances cybersecurity resources and training available for small businesses through SBA resource partners;
- Improves information sharing for small business cybersecurity between the SBA, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other federal agencies; and
- Reviews the cybersecurity hygiene of small businesses that went online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a senior member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and as a former small business owner, Senator Shaheen is a fierce advocate for New Hampshire’s small business community. Shaheen helped pass several laws to support small businesses, including the Small Business Cyber Training Act, which requires the SBA to establish a training program for Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to prepare counselors in cyber planning assistance. In addition, the Disaster Assistance for Rural Small Businesses Act, led by Shaheen and Senator Risch, would allow rural communities to more easily access emergency relief in the wake of a natural disaster.
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