UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Small Business Development Center will help proprietors tackle the complex issue of cybersecurity during an upcoming workshop. Cybersecurity for Small Businesses will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 200 Innovation Blvd. in State College. Penn State researchers will discuss the reasons why companies are at risk for a cyberattack, current and emerging cyber threats, and the steps business owners need to take to secure their online presence.
Michael Ryan, interim director of the Penn State SBDC, said small business owners often overlook the importance of securing systems and protecting data.
“Many small business owners are busy and don’t realize how crucial cybersecurity is until it is too late; it’s no longer a matter of if your systems will be compromised, but rather when,” Ryan said. “This workshop will show entrepreneurs some of the simple steps that can be implemented to protect a business from cyberattacks, as well as aid in recovery if something does happen.”
Edward Glantz, associate teaching professor for the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State and coordinator for the online Master of Professional Studies in Information Sciences–Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, said half of all targets of cyberattacks are small businesses.
“Larger company attacks get more publicity, perhaps creating the illusion that smaller companies are immune,” Glantz said. “Small businesses are not only equally likely to be attacked; they are unfortunately less resilient to rebound following a serious attack.”
Fanta Conde, Paul Feightner, Ka’Lee Strawbridge and Tariq Elsaid from the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State will join Glantz as presenters at the workshop. Along with identifying common cyber threats to small businesses, they will provide strategies to control cyber threats and steps to prepare a cyber plan.
The cost to attend Cybersecurity for Small Businesses is $49.
For more information and to register, visit the Penn State SBDC online; space is limited.