SPOKANE, Wash.—The Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is joining with industry experts to present two cybersecurity workshops in the North Sound region to help small business owners learn how to protect their data from cyberattacks.
“The First Steps to Becoming Cybersecure” will be offered at no cost at Edmonds College on Sept. 25 and Shoreline Community College on Sept. 26. Learn more here or here.
According to the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, small businesses are three times more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals than larger companies, and the total cost of cybercrimes to small businesses reached $2.4 billion in 2021. Nearly 60 percent of small businesses that experience a cyberattack go out of business within six months.
“Understanding where a business is vulnerable and setting up policy and procedures to reduce risks for cyber-attack is an important topic for business owners to become aware of,” said Jennifer Shelton, the SBDC business advisor located at Shoreline Community College. The Business Department at Shoreline Community College and the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce are partnering with the SBDC to offer this training event.
“This workshop is designed to help people understand what steps they can take immediately that could make a big difference,” said Kayla Miller, cybersecurity coordinator at the Washington SBDC. “Hackers look for easy targets – you don’t need to build a fortress, start by locking your door.”
Guest experts include Tonya Zimmerer, a VP with Banner Bank, who will discuss online banking security; Anton Nikitin, owner of Menavita, a technology services company, who will present on using the cloud and safe storage of sensitive data; and Rob Ruder, owner of the IT and cybersecurity services company IDIC Designs, who will discuss small business policies and procedures related to cybersecurity. (Ruder’s presentation will be virtual.)
In addition, Miller will introduce the Cybersecurity Maturity Model, which is a nationally recognized framework for protection of sensitive unclassified information created by the U.S. Department of Defense. Celeste Race, a business engagement specialist with Workforce Snohomish, will share information about Snohomish County small business cyber internships.
The workshops have been scheduled for the following days and times:
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Edmonds College, Room 109, Maltby Building, 7020 196th St., Lynnwood. Register here.
Thursday, Sept. 26, 1 to 4 p.m., Shoreline Community College, PUB Building, 16101 Greenwood Ave. N., Shoreline. Register here.
The Washington SBDC is a network of more than 40 business advisors and two international trade specialists who work in communities across the state to assist entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to start, grow or buy/sell a business. The Washington SBDC is hosted by Washington State University and receives funding support from the U.S. Small Business Administration, other institutions of higher education, including Shoreline Community College, economic development agencies, municipal governments and business and civic groups.
For more about the Washington SBDC, go to www.wsbdc.org
