ND SBDC Cybersecurity Initiative

The North Dakota Small Business Development Centers (ND SBDC) in cooperation with the Kansas SBDC have launched their cybersecurity initiative. A free online assessment tool is now available, which takes approximately 30 minutes, and will help businesses identify areas of strength and weakness with their current cybersecurity policies and procedures. Following the assessment, participants have the opportunity to ask for further assistance and access online training to decrease their level of risk of a cyber-attack.

Access the assessment here: https://docking.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5sYCOtlyeidBLFz

Small businesses are increasingly targets of cyber attacks. Many will not recover from a successful attack.
20% of small to mid-sized organizations (SMBs) that experienced a successful ransomware infiltration had to cease business operations immediately, and 12% lost revenue (State of Ransomware, Malwarebytes and Osterman Research).

57% of SMBs experienced nine or more hours of downtime from a successful ransomware infiltration. Some organizations were down for more than 100 hours because of the infection (State of Ransomware, Malwarebytes and Osterman Research).

7 in 10 customers would consider leaving a business (e.g., their financial institution, healthcare provider) if it were hit by ransomware (Carbon Black 2017 Ransom Aware survey).

To learn more, visit: ndsbdc.org or call 701.777.3700.

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The ND SBDC is administered out of UND’s Center for Business Engagement & Development, the institution’s business outreach hub.  The center’s mission is to help North Dakotans to start, manage, and grow their businesses, and to promote the University of North Dakota and the College of Business & Public Administration.  This newly named center hosts three separate national business assistance programs in order to provide assistance to entrepreneurs and businesses throughout the state, at no-cost to the business.  We look forward to extending our reach, and building more collaborative relationships in order to better serve the state, meet the needs of North Dakotans, and also to highlight the skills, offerings and talents at UND and in the CoBPA.