Free workshop addresses cyber-security for small businesses

The Vermont Small Business Development Center and Springfield Regional Development Corp. are sponsoring a free workshop to help businesses improve their data security. The event will be held on from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 11 at the Howard Dean Education Center, 307 South St. in Springfield.

For businesses today, managing risks to critical information has become a business priority, not just an IT responsibility. According to a 2014 report by the Center for International Studies, cybercrimes cost the U.S. economy close to $100 billion each year, and that number is expected to rise.

At the most risk are small businesses. According to a recent Data Breach Investigations Study by Verizon, in 855 data breaches they examined, 71 percent occurred in businesses with fewer than 100 employees. This is due to the targeting done by cybercriminals, who prefer targets with the weakest security — often small businesses.

“Businesses today are online with websites, email and all kinds of electronic storage,” says VtSBDC advisor Scott Holson. “Our workshop will cover simple things every business can do to reduce its cyber security risk.” SRDC’s Bob Flint agrees, saying that “companies in our area, unfortunately, may be subject to more risk than anyone realizes.”

Two regional experts in the field will lead the workshop: John Burton from NPI, a Vermont technology management company, and Kerin Stackpole, an employment attorney from Paul, Frank and Collins of Burlington.

This informational event will include a presentation and group discussion. Everyone attending will receive a binder filled with tips and strategies for preventing security breaches.

To register for this free workshop, visit vtsbdc.org/cybersecurity or contact Scott Holson at sholson2@vtsbdc.org or call SRDC at 802-885-3061.