On the recordJuly 15, 2019
As a senior member of the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1649, the ``Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2019.'' H.R. 1649 calls for the establishment of a cyber counseling certification program, or the approval of a similar existing program, to certify the employees of lead business development centers to provide cyber planning assistance to small business concerns. Cyber strategy refers to the necessary resources and tactics that assist in planning for cybersecurity and defending against cyber risks and cyber attacks. Technology becomes more advanced every day, and cyber threats follow that same trend, making them increasingly difficult to predict and prevent. Cyber attacks have cost companies with robust cybersecurity programs millions of dollars, and small businesses are no exception. Yet, small businesses often lack the resources available to larger companies and corporations, making them especially vulnerable to such attacks. A recent Ponemon study found that nearly 70 percent of all small businesses experienced a cyberattack in 2017, while nearly half admitted to having no understanding of how to protect their company against a cyber attack. Additionally, another study by Hiscox found that less than 20 percent of small businesses said they were confident in their cybersecurity readiness, and barely half had a clearly defined cybersecurity strategy at all.…
