[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 106 (Thursday, August 3, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8805-S8806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE:
  S. 3786. A bill to reauthorize and improve the Small Business Act and 
the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

[[Page S8806]]

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Small 
Business Information Security Act of 2006. This bill will establish 
within the Small Business Administration a Small Business Information 
Security Task Force to advise the SBA and help small businesses both 
understand the information security challenges they face and identify 
resources to help meet those challenges.
  As chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship, one of my goals is to ensure small businesses are 
protected from the mounting information security threats they face 
every day. This legislation will create a clearinghouse of information, 
resources, and tools--compiled by a task force consisting of public and 
private sector experts in the field--that will ease the trouble, 
confusion, and cost often associated with enhancing information 
security measures within a small business. The task force will 
continually update information and resources as new technologies and 
new threats arise. Currently, potential and existing owners of small 
businesses turn to the SBA for resources regarding a number of other 
aspects when developing and maintaining their ventures. But information 
security resources are not as readily available. This measure will 
present an opportunity for the SBA to create a repository for small 
businesses to meet their information security needs.
  According to a 2005 survey by the Small Business Technology 
Institute, more than half of all small businesses in the United States 
experienced a security breach in the last year. Furthermore, the study 
concludes that nearly one-fifth of small businesses do not use virus-
scanning for e-mail, over 60 percent do not protect their wireless 
networks with encryption, and two-thirds of small businesses do not 
have an information security plan.
  As these statistics illustrate, small businesses are increasingly at 
risk of data breaches and other forms of malicious attacks on their 
information technology infrastructure. The Small Business Information 
Security Task Force will provide resources and information to small 
business owners to help them overcome these obstacles and decrease the 
risks posed to their small businesses by cybercriminals. I encourage 
all of my colleagues to support this vitally important legislation.
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