Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016 2016-09-21 Passed House amended Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make grants to small business development centers (SBDCs) in furtherance of a Small Business Development Center Cyber Strategy to be developed by the SBA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issues a report that reviews federal cybersecurity resources aimed at assisting small businesses.

SBDCs shall have access to cybersecurity specialists to counsel their small business clients.

(Sec. 3) The Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Small Business Act are amended to allow DHS and other federal agencies coordinating with DHS to leverage SBDCs to disseminate cybersecurity risk information and other homeland security information to help small businesses in developing cybersecurity infrastructure, threat awareness, and employee training programs.

(Sec. 5) The GAO's cyber resources report must include: (1) an accounting, description, and assessment of the utilization of federal programs that provide cybersecurity assistance to small businesses; and (2) an assessment of whether the resources are duplicative of other programs or accessible to small businesses.

The strategy must include:

  • plans for leveraging SBDCs into existing federal cyber programs to assist small businesses;
  • methods for the provision of counsel and assistance to improve small businesses' cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and training programs for employees, including agreements with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to gain awareness of actionable threat information that may be beneficial to small businesses; and
  • an analysis of how SBDCs can leverage federal programs and develop partnerships with federal, state, and local governments and private entities to improve cyber support services to small businesses.

The SBA's and DHS's strategy must be developed in consultation with entities representing SBDC concerns and submitted to Congress.

]]> 2016-07-01 Reported to House amended, Part I Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make grants to small business development centers (SBDCs) in furtherance of a Small Business Development Center Cyber Strategy to be developed by the SBA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issues a report that reviews federal cybersecurity resources aimed at assisting small businesses.

SBDCs shall have access to cybersecurity specialists to counsel their small business clients.

(Sec. 3) The Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Small Business Act are amended to allow DHS and other federal agencies coordinating with DHS to leverage SBDCs to disseminate cybersecurity risk information and other homeland security information to help small businesses in developing cybersecurity infrastructure, threat awareness, and employee training programs.

(Sec. 5) The GAO's cyber resources report must include: (1) an accounting, description, and assessment of the utilization of federal programs that provide cybersecurity assistance to small businesses; and (2) an assessment of whether the resources are duplicative of other programs or accessible to small businesses.

The strategy must include:

  • plans for leveraging SBDCs into existing federal cyber programs to assist small businesses;
  • methods for the provision of counsel and assistance to improve small businesses' cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and training programs for employees, including agreements with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to gain awareness of actionable threat information that may be beneficial to small businesses; and
  • an analysis of how SBDCs can leverage federal programs and develop partnerships with federal, state, and local governments and private entities to improve cyber support services to small businesses.

The SBA's and DHS's strategy must be developed in consultation with entities representing SBDC concerns and submitted to Congress.

]]> 2016-04-26 Introduced in House Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016

This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a Small Business Development Center Cyber Strategy after the Government Accountability Office issues a report that reviews federal cybersecurity resources aimed at assisting small businesses. The strategy must include:

  • plans for incorporating small business development centers (SBDCs) into existing cyber programs to assist small businesses;
  • counsel and assistance to improve small businesses' cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and training programs for employees, including agreements with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to gain awareness of actionable threat information that may be beneficial to small businesses; and
  • an analysis of how SBDCs can leverage federal programs and develop partnerships to improve cyber support services to small businesses.

The Small Business Act is amended to authorize the SBA to make SBDC grants in furtherance of such strategy. SBDCs shall have access to cyber security specialists to counsel their small business clients.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Small Business Act are amended to authorize DHS and other federal agencies coordinating with DHS to assist SBDCs, through the dissemination of cyber security risk information and other homeland security information, to help small businesses in developing such cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and employee training programs.

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