Cardin, Mikulski Urge Focus on Cybersecurity for Small Businesses
Cybersecurity is a “very important subject” to small business across the U.S., and is deserving of more attention, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said during a field hearing of the Senate Small Business Committee late Monday in Laurel, Md. Cardin was joined by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md. The hearing took place near Fort Meade, the headquarters for the new U.S. Cyber Command and also the National Security Agency.
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Small businesses face cybercriminals, cyberterrorists and a new breed of “cybersoldiers” seeking to attack the U.S. through attacks on critical infrastructure, Cardin said. “As the cybersecurity sector continues to expand, I will do all that I can to ensure that Maryland small businesses reap the economic benefits as part of Gov. [Martin] O'Malley’s ‘CyberMaryland’ plan,” Cardin said. “As new federal dollars flow into cybersecurity businesses, I will work to ensure that qualified small businesses are given fair access to contracts and subcontracts."
Cardin, a member of the Small Business Committee, said “there’s a great deal of energy” in Maryland. “We want that energy to a large extent focused on the small business community,” he said. “We know that job growth in America will be through our small businesses. We know that we'll get more innovation through small companies. That’s where the energy starts."
Key military and civilian agencies fighting cyberterrorism and cybercrime are based in Maryland, Mikulski said. “We truly are the epicenter of cybersecurity,” she said. “We're the epicenter in many instances for the world, at least for the free world that wants to remain free.” Small businesses in Maryland should benefit from the proximity of key cybersecurity agencies, she said. “Small businesses are uniquely situated to leverage these … assets,” she said. “I will fight to ensure that small businesses have every opportunity to compete and secure contracts that will create a stronger economy and safer country."
Small businesses face “significant threats and unique vulnerabilities” to cybercrime, said Patrick Gallagher, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in testimony. “In fact, it’s been recently reported that data and identity theft are impacting small- and medium-sized businesses” at a greater rate than other businesses, Gallagher said. “It’s vital that small businesses be aware of the risks and take appropriate steps to ensure that their systems are secure.”