SBA Announces Cybersecurity Grant Program for New Businesses
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced a new $3 million program to help emerging small businesses develop their cybersecurity infrastructure.
According to the SBA, state governments will be able to compete for grants via the Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program to help small young businesses in their state to build their cyber defense system.
State governments will provide training, counseling, remediation and other tailored cybersecurity services for emerging small firms across multiple industries, with states eligible to receive up to $1 million each.
The SBA, citing a recent survey, says 88% of small business owners feel that their business was vulnerable to a cyberattack, but many don’t have the resources or knowledge to deploy professional IT and security solutions.
The program is specifically designed to help expand cybersecurity technology to underserved and underrepresented small business ecosystems.
According to SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, the pandemic has forced virtually every organization to adopt new technology to survive the pandemic, which as a result has exposed them to increased risk of cyberattacks.
“As we seek to build a stronger and more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, we must innovate and provide resources to meet the evolving needs of the growing number of small businesses,” the SBA administrator said in a statement. “With this new funding opportunity, the SBA intends on leveraging the strengths across our state governments, territories, and tribal governments to provide services to help small businesses get cyber ready and, in the process, fortify our nation’s supply chains.”
In addition to the grant program, the SBA also offers other cybersecurity resources to small businesses, including online and in-person training.
For other cybersecurity resources for small businesses offered by the SBA and other agencies, visit the SBA’s Stay safe from cybersecurity threats webpage.
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