From his perch as chairman of the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., brought out legislation to protect America’s small businesses from cyber threats.
Rubio teamed up with U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Mary., the top Democrat on the Small Business Committee, to showcase the “SBA Cyber Awareness Act” this week.
“This bill would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop a cyber strategy, examine its IT system components’ country of origin, and report on breaches and threats to the Small Business Committees,” Rubio’s office noted.
Rubio also teamed up with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, on the “Small Business Cyber Training Act” this week.
“This bill would create a training program for small business development centers (SBDCs) to prepare counselors in cyber planning assistance. Specifically, the bill would require SBDCs to employees certified in cyber strategy counseling for small businesses,” Rubio’s office noted.
Rubio weighed in on the bills on Wednesday.
“Amidst rapid technological advances, shifting global economic trends, and rising foreign adversaries, we must continue to protect our small businesses. This includes emerging and evolving cybersecurity threats,” Rubio said. “My two bills will give small businesses the tools they need to safeguard themselves against the growing cybersecurity risks of the 21st century.”