CYBERSECURITY ROUNDTABLE: SECURING AND EMPOWERING SMALL BUSINESSES WITH TECHNOLOGY * May 16, 2011 * FCC unveils new Cybersecurity Tip Sheet for small businesses during National Small Business Week; Launches www.fcc.gov/cyberforsmallbiz FCC convenes National Small Business Week roundtable, unveils initiatives to empower small businesses with cybersecurity tools. Event builds on FCC’s agenda of expanding the benefits of broadband to businesses as well as FCC efforts in network reliability, public safety and emergency communication. Partners & participants from public, private and nonprofit sectors include: former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, HP, US Chamber of Commerce, National Urban League, Symantec, Thomson Reuters, SCORE & McAfee. Broadband Brings Great Benefits for Small Businesses · American small businesses are key drivers of innovation, economic growth and job creation. Small businesses have created about two-thirds of net new jobs over the past fifteen years, account for more than half of nonfarm GDP, and hire 40% of high tech workers. · Broadband and information technology is increasingly important to the success of our economy, to jobs and to the future of small business. Broadband connectivity and online business tools are powerful factors in small businesses reaching new markets, increasing productivity and efficiency, and generating economic growth. A recent study found that having a broadband connection makes a $200,000 a year difference in median annual revenues for businesses.1 Small Businesses Need to Protect Against Growing Cybersecurity Threats2 · As larger companies do more to secure their technology systems, less-secure small businesses are becoming easier targets for cybercriminals. American small businesses lose billions to cyber attacks annually and 74% of small and medium businesses report being affected by cyber attacks in the past 12 months. The average cost of these attacks for business, per incident, was $188,242. · Small businesses often struggle to protect confidential data, with 42% of small and medium businesses surveyed reporting the loss of confidential or private data in the past 12 months and 40% experiencing direct financial costs as a result. · Small businesses often do not back-up their data, with 47% reporting that they do not ever back up their data. · However, there are many basic steps small business owners can take to protect their company and their customers. FCC Helps Small Businesses Understand and Combat Cyber Threats · The FCC is launching a Small Business Cybersecurity section on its website [www.fcc.gov/cyberforsmallbiz] and releasing a cybersecurity tip sheet to help small businesses understand basic cybersecurity precautions. § The FCC is partnering with U.S. Chamber of Commerce, McAfee, Symantec, SCORE and the National Urban League to distribute the cybersecurity tip sheet widely to small business owners across the United States through blogs, social media and outreach to businesses. · The FCC is partnering with the SCORE eBusiness Now Program to provide cybersecurity expertise at SCORE events for small business owners around the country, plus at a focused cybersecurity event to be held at FCC HQ later this year. § The FCC is working with key Education Partners to ensure that the FCC training materials are tailored to a diverse range of small business owners and to assure wide distribution. Organizations include National Urban League, National Congress of American Indians, LULAC, LISTA, National Black Chamber of Commerce, and National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. · FCC Joining Federal Government Cybersecurity Partnership and Campaign: The FCC is joining the public/private National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) partnership led by NIST. The NICE partnership runs the Stop. Think. Connect. Campaign, which is designed to raise awareness about the need to strengthen cybersecurity and to generate and communicate new approaches and strategies to help Americans increase their safety and security online. 1 Connected Nation Study, 2011. 2 Survey figures from the Symantec 2010 Global SMB Information Protection Survey.