North Dakota SBDC launches cybersecurity guide and tool kit

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota Small Business Development Centers has partnered with the Delaware SBDC to launch a brand-new cybersecurity guide and tool kit during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

The new cybersecurity workbook, along with additional information, videos and a link to an assessment, are available on the ND SBDC website.

The largest threat currently facing small businesses is cybersecurity. Small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) are particularly at risk because they are viewed by hackers as easier targets due to their general lack of awareness and resources in this space. SMBs are the number one target for cybercriminals, representing 43% of all data breaches in 2019. Many people assume that large corporations would be a primary target for cyberattacks, however, those enterprises usually have solid cybersecurity protections in place, making them harder to infiltrate (Source: CNBC). Cyberattacks on small businesses mean significant costs to recover, a loss of data, productivity, customers, and revenue, and the possibility of going out of business.

Nicole Evans, ND SBDC center director in Grand Forks, currently specializes in helping clients with cybersecurity across the state. With the new guide, and support from Evans, all ND SBDC advisors will be better equipped to assist customers with this critical business component. SBDC clients can start the process by taking an assessment to evaluate their cybersecurity practices, receiving a “level of threat” score upon completion. The guide, additional handouts, training videos and one-on-one discussions with an advisor can help clients take action and make improvements. Finally, a client will take the assessment again to gauge the improvement to their level of risk.

“We understand cybersecurity can be a daunting and complex topic for many small business owners, however it is an incredibly important thing to be aware of,” said Tiffany Ford, ND SBDC state director. “We believe this guide and the tools on our website introduce the basic concepts that provide an easy entry point to protecting our state’s small businesses and their data. The additional offering of one-on-one assistance can clarify anything in the guide and help business owners take the next steps or dig deeper into this task when they are ready.”

This guide, along with the no-cost assistance of ND SBDC advisors, can help small business owners learn how to identify threats; protect their systems; detect suspicious activity; respond to a breach; and how to recover if a breach is ever experienced.

“In addition to these tools we now have available to start-up and existing businesses, our network has integrated cybersecurity into business plans that we work on with clients,” said Evans. “We want to ensure that this important topic is looked at, thought about, and included into their everyday business operations.”

About ND SBDC

ND SBDC is a statewide outreach program of the Center for Business Engagement & Development within the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration at the University of North Dakota. Since its inception in 1986, the ND SBDC network has helped business owners and entrepreneurs start, manage, and grow their small businesses through confidential, individualized, professional business advising and training workshops. Services are provided at no-cost to clients thanks to funding from SBA, ND Department of Commerce, UND, and local supporters across the state.

For more information on the ND SBDC programs or services, call 701.777.3700, email leadcenter@ndsbdc.org, visit https://ndsbdc.org/ or find us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).