House to vote on cyber bill for small businesses

The House of Representatives is slated to vote Wednesday on a bill that would extend cybersecurity help to small businesses. 

The Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act, sponsored by Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.), would increase the cybersecurity offerings of small-business development centers (SMBCs), including training and access to experts. 

{mosads}The Small Business Administration would be in charge of increasing cybersecurity programs at the SMBCs in accordance with a small-business security strategy it would develop with the Department of Homeland Security. 

The bill would not only address the expertise gap for small businesses, but also address complaints within the small-business community that recent cybersecurity laws mostly helped large businesses. 

“In the law itself, there are only two references to small businesses,” said Ola Sage, founder and chief executive of the small business e-Management at a June hearing on new cyber threat information sharing rules. 

That “highlights that the law isn’t directly focused on small businesses,” she said.