Swalwell Hosts Cybersecurity Summit to Protect Small Businesses
Congressman Eric Swalwell moderates a panel of cybersecurity companies in a discussion of how small businesses can protect themselves from hackers.
According to recent industry reports, between 57 and 61 percent of small businesses encountered cyberattacks, data breaches, malware attacks, or ransomware within the last year.
Cyberattacks can also be a problem for non-profits, religious organizations, and some school districts that can’t afford to pay for their own computer security specialist or hire an outside company to protect them.
In response, Congressman Eric Swalwell (CA-14) held a Cybersecurity Summit at Las Positas College in Livermore last Friday. Swalwell, who sits on the House Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee, said he wanted to bring together government agencies and computer security companies to trade best practices and hear from people in his district.
“Nearly every day, we hear about criminals and nation-states launching cyber-attacks that could undermine our national security and cause wide-scale economic damage,” Swalwell said. “We are now also hearing about thousands of small business owners who are having their client data held for ransom and don't know where to begin. I want to try and fix that.”
Representatives from the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) attended to discuss how the government provides cybercrime prevention and response services and grants to help fight computer crimes.
“Our best advice for small businesses is ‘Don’t pay the ransomware.’ Contact us instead,” CISA Deputy Executive Assistant Director Matt Hartman told the crowd. “It opens the door to other vulnerabilities in your network and allows them to ask for even more money.
Swalwell was himself the target of a cyber attack in 2015 when he announced he was running for President of the United States, but he sympathizes with small businesses.
“My in-laws have a dental practice. If they were attacked and didn’t have the information we are sharing today, hackers could quickly get a couple thousand dollars out of them. So, it’s on us to bring awareness to the problem and to make sure they know what government agencies to go to for help.”
Best practices include:
Use two authentication methods: Try a password followed by an email or text or perhaps a PIN and a thumb scan.
Update your software regularly: The latest versions of your operating system or apps will likely include protections against known threats.
Choose strong passwords: While “12345678” and “password” are obvious to avoid, using words or phrases that could be tracked back to your personal information is also unwise.
Back up your information: Even if you upload your information to a Google Drive, Dropbox, or another service, experts recommend an external hard drive as well.
Don’t click on things you shouldn’t: This includes any link asking you to share personal and financial information or passwords.
For more suggestions, visit the CISA site for small businesses (https://www.cisa.gov/audiences/small-and-medium-businesses).