Everyone loves a nice local business. In a world increasingly dominated by enormous, faceless corporations, it's always nice to walk into a brick-and-mortar establishment and know that the business's owner is one of your neighbors.
As the Biden administration has recognized, small businesses drive innovation, generate economic mobility, and strengthen community bonds. The sign of a healthy town is a thriving Main Street. It is the duty of our government to support these enterprises and create the environment necessary for them to flourish.
We live in the age of an information technology, in which very few businesses can choose to remain analog. The opportunities of a digital society also create new risks - everything connected to the internet is a vector of attack. Small businesses, with their limited resources and lack of technical experience, make easy targets for cybercriminals. Without proper preparation and training, a business owner could very easily see their livelihood destroyed in a matter of moments.
That's where this week's guest comes in. Kimberly Mentzell is the Director of Cybersecurity and Aerospace for the Maryland Department of Commerce. With grant funding from the Small Business Administration, she runs Maryland's Small Business Cybersecurity Resilience Program, helping entrepreneurs protect their enterprises from cyberattack.
Learn more about Maryland's program
Cyber Guidance for Small Business by CISA
NIST's Small Business Cybersecurity Corner
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Intro/Outro Music: Focal Point/Young Community
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound