Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3170) to amend the Small Business Act to require cyber certification for small business development center counselors, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, before we get into the business at hand, I would like to thank our ranking member, Ms. Velazquez, all of our minority and majority members on the committee, and their staffs for working in a bipartisan manner to produce this strong package of small business bills.

Our committee strives to be bipartisan and an example, really, for our fellow Members. That can't be done without equal effort on both sides.

Again, I want to thank Ms. Velazquez for always working with us-- usually working with us--in a bipartisan manner, and I want to thank all the members in the committee for doing that as well.

Mr. Speaker, last week was National Small Business Week all across America. I like to call small businesses our biggest asset as a Nation. And because of the actions of this Congress and our President, small businesses are the most optimistic they have been in more than three decades.

It is vital to our Nation's economy that these small businesses succeed. As technology evolves, so must our small businesses. Just as important as the ice cream shop on Main Street is the online startup company.

We have an obligation to do everything we can to create an economy where all small businesses flourish, because a community that has successful small businesses thrives, and this is good for all of us all across the country.

This leads us to the first piece of legislation before us today.

Advances in information technology, or IT, have helped small businesses to rapidly increase their productivity, enter new markets, and offer consumers new and innovative services and products.

However, IT has advanced so quickly that it has been difficult to keep pace with the ever-growing cyber threats. Unfortunately, small businesses are becoming increasingly targeted by cyber criminals.

While larger companies have more resources to detect and combat cyber attacks, small businesses often do not learn they have been hacked until it is too late. As chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, I have heard too many firsthand accounts of this occurring.

One story that stands out to me is the story of a small-business owner who owned an indoor go-karting facility in Maine and had a number of employees and their families who depended on it. He told our committee that he was struck by a phishing scam. He logged on to his business account, and, to his utter disbelief, his bank account was zero. This happened on a payday, no less. So all these people, who are depending on him to pay them, his bank account is zero because some hacker got into it.

Stories like these are why Congressman Evans and I have introduced H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2017. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would establish a cyber counseling certification program in lead small business development centers, or SBDCs, to assist small businesses with planning and implementing cybersecurity measures to defend against cyber attacks. The cyber assistance offered by trained staff at SBDCs would be provided at no cost, or low cost, to small businesses.

Cyber planning assistance will encourage small businesses to take a more proactive approach to defending themselves from cyber attacks by leveraging the expertise from SBDCs and their partner agencies and institutions, rather than being forced to react after an attack.

When provided with the right resources, small businesses can be assured that they have an effective cyber plan in place. I would like to thank Mr. Evans for his collaboration on this bill, and I would urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall).

Mr. Speaker, I do not have any further speakers on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close, and I will be brief.

Mr. Speaker, America's small business development centers must have the best possible cybersecurity training so that they can better assist small businesses to detect and combat cyber attacks.

In our committee's efforts to spotlight these serious and growing threats, it has become clear that we need to think outside the box as we work to thwart cyber attacks, and the bipartisan bill before us today is a step in that direction.

I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I want to again thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the ranking member, for her leadership on this.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I speak in support of H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Security Training Act of 2017.

H.R. 3170 amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration to establish a program for certifying employees of small business development centers to provide cybersecurity planning assistance to small businesses.

Cybersecurity threats faced by small businesses are as serious as those faced by large businesses and government agencies.

According to the Better Business Bureau's 2017 report ``State of Cybersecurity Among Small Businesses in North America'' found that small business owners are becoming more and more aware of cyber threats, continue to be concerned about cyber risks, and are taking some proactive security steps in spite of their unique challenges in regard to cybersecurity.

Global spending on cybersecurity is expected to reach $170 billion by 2020 as businesses and governments work to security networks and the data they contain.

Cyberattacks in the form of ransomware, phishing, point-of sale malware, keyloggers, tech support phone scam, remote access Trojan or rat are some of the threats faced by small businesses.

According to the trade journal Small Business Trends:

43 percent of cyberattacks target small businesses;

14 percent of small businesses rate their ability to mitigate cyber risks, vulnerabilities, and attacks as highly effective;

60 percent of small companies go out of business within six months of a cyberattack;

48 percent of data security breaches are caused by acts of malicious intent, human error, or system failure; and

Small businesses are most concerned about the security of customer data.

Cyber criminals are not only interested in what may be of value on a small business computer or computing device.

Criminals can also see value in taking control of a small business' computers or computing devices to launch an attack on a third party.

These types of attacks can shield the attacker from being identified and cause problems for the small business as networks label their computing devices or web addresses as the source of an attack.

The overall impact of a cybersecurity incident according to the National Institute for Standards and Technology could include:

damage to information or information systems;

regulatory fines and penalties/legal fees;

decreased productivity;

loss of information critical to running your business;

damage to reputation or loss of consumer confidence;

damage to credit and loan worthiness; or

loss of business income.

There is a growing shortage of cybersecurity professionals with over a quarter-million positions remaining unfilled in the U.S. alone and a predicted shortfall of 1.5 million cybersecurity professionals by 2019.

Solutions like the ones contained in the bill before us would increase the number of cybersecurity professionals in the Small Business Administration to serve the cybersecurity needs of small businesses.

The bill would require the SBA to have staff at their Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) receive training in cybersecurity so that they will be prepared to assist businesses with cybersecurity planning.

Small Business Development Centers provide an array of technical assistance to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs.

By supporting business growth, sustainability and enhancing the creation of new businesses entities, SBDCs foster local and regional economic development through job creation and retention.

As a result of the no-cost, extensive, one-on-one, long-term professional business advising, low-cost training and other specialized services SBDC clients receive, the program remains one of the nation's largest small business assistance programs in the federal government.

The SBDCs are comprised of a unique collaboration of SBA federal funds, state and local governments, and private sector resources.

SBDCs provide services through professional business advisors such as:

development of business plans; manufacturing assistance;

financial packaging and lending assistance; exporting and importing support;

disaster recovery assistance; procurement and contracting aid; market research services;

aid to 8(a) firms in all stages; and

healthcare information.

H.R. 3170, would add to this list cybersecurity planning assistance.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me take this opportunity to thank the chairman, Mr. Chabot; his staff; and all the members of the Small Business Committee for working in a bipartisan manner.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to hear about cyber breaches and unauthorized data collection. Cybersecurity must be our Nation's top priority, especially as it pertains to the health of our small business community.

The Small Business Committee has taken steps to leverage the Small Business Administration's network of resource partners to assist in education and development of cyber infrastructure. Clearly, we must do more to combat rogue nation-states and cybercriminals.

The key lies in a properly trained workforce at our small business development centers who are tasked in educating, developing, and implementing cybersecurity measures for small companies of all kinds.

H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act does this by creating a certification program at SBDCs to develop staff who are prepared to combat cyber attacks. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans), who is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access.

Mr. Speaker, does the chairman have any further speakers?

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, expanding access to a skilled cyber workforce focused on small businesses has been a top priority for both sides of the aisle. We cannot let our Nation's job creators go without the assistance they need to develop, implement, and monitor their online presence.

H.R. 3170 will help boost SBDC's ability to engage and protect their small-business clients, and, therefore, also protect the interests of American workers and consumers.

This legislation ensures that our national efforts combating cyber attacks can be utilized by our Nation's most vulnerable businesses. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding to me. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act. As a member of the House Small Business Committee, we look to find solutions to problems and address gaps in policy relating to small businesses.

H.R. 3170, which was introduced last year, is yet another example of a tool in the toolbox for small businesses and illustrates the important role that government can play in areas of cybersecurity, which continues to develop and is ripe for direction and collaboration.

This is an extremely important bicameral bill. Our small-business owners and entrepreneurs are the engines that drive people to live, grow, and succeed in our neighborhoods. We know that our small business community faces increasing cyber threats in our ever-changing global economy.

As seen by the glaring number of cyber attacks on American businesses in the past few years, it is critical that we work with the private sector to ensure that these businesses are not stiffed. Many large companies have the resources to fight these attacks by cybercriminals, but a lot of small businesses just do not have the time, money, or expertise.

Every day we hear about issues relating to national security and cyber attacks. They are threats to us all. We are all a part of cyberspace, and we have to ensure that proper safety precautions are in place.

We know that small businesses are especially at risk as it relates to cyber attacks; therefore, we must ensure that all small businesses have the ability to invest in the protection needed, but we must ensure proper coordination. I look forward to working with the chairperson and the ranking member.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership in continuing to fight for small business.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2017. Cybersecurity has become an increasing issue for small businesses, as many small firms have less time than larger firms to develop cybersecurity defense strategies, fewer staff to monitor systems, and less access to capital to purchase computer security hardware and software.

As more businesses embrace online tools, such as social media, mobile services, and cloud data storage, the need for stronger information security and cybersecurity systems has grown. Small business development centers provide important resources and business assistance programs for entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

In Kansas, small business development centers have aided hundreds of businesses across the State, many of which I visited across the district. H.R. 3170 acknowledges the importance of cybersecurity, as well as the broad reach of SBDCs, and instructs the small-business administrator to establish a cybersecurity program for SBDC employees.

Adding this training to the SBDC toolkit will allow SBDC employees to assist businessowners with cyber planning and strategy and is critical in ensuring that small businesses and entrepreneurs are able to securely compete in today's digital marketplace. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.