To answer the call to educate and engage small businesses, and to help them protect their intellectual and fiscal assets, the Florida SBDC Network partnered with Ridge Global, a globally-recognized risk management, and cybersecurity firm, to launch its Byte-Size Small Business Cybersecurity Program in 2017. Since the successful program launch, the Florida SBDC has been able to bring the content online, update it with lessons learned, and expand it to cover current threats, making it the Florida SBDC Cybersecurity Program.
This cybersecurity course is designed to provide you, the small business owner with basic cybersecurity information necessary to increase the longevity of your business. Your business may be under unique circumstances, so view this course as a starting point and build from there. You can strive to have a comprehensive cyber program, but you don't need to have everything figured out to get started. It is meant to guide your thinking to a security mindset. You must make security your own and live it day in and day out at your business.
One caveat here – since this course is a starting point that you can use to help understand and define your cybersecurity practices, it cannot prevent breaches on its own nor will it be able to answer specific questions about your network or your legal liability. We recommend that if you have questions that are highly specialized and unique, that you consult a security/IT vendor who may be able to help you, or in the question of liability, a qualified lawyer.
Common Misconceptions
My business is too small to be a target
It isn't always about you or your business. You could just be the jump point. Hackers love finding easy ways into bigger targets. A hacker may not even know they've compromised a small business until they're in and snooping around.
My business doesn't have data worth going after
You probably have more data than you realize. Even if you don't, data loss is one of MANY problems you can have when you are breached. There are operational, legal, privacy, and so many other factors of your business.
Cybersecurity is too expensive. I can't justify the costs right now
While it's true that cybersecurity can be complex and expensive, it doesn't have to be when starting your cyber program. Learning the absolute basics of cybersecurity will be one of the best things for the longevity of your business.
I literally know no other business that's been hacked
It makes sense. It's mostly the big companies in the news that have breaches. But ignoring risk doesn't make it go away. You can be attacked indirectly. You worked so hard to get your business to this point. Why risk losing your livelihood now?
