An occasional look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from
the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business
assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.
By Paul Johnson, cybersecurity program manager, Wyoming SBDC Network
The bad news: A cyberattack could not only slow down your small business; it could
ruin it. Over 90 percent of small businesses were targeted by cybercriminals in 2024.
Some businesses survive, but 60 percent of small businesses that experienced a cyberattack
closed within six months. The good news: Simple preparations can make your business
a less vulnerable target for cybercriminals.
The reasons that a cyberattack can kill your business are both financial and reputational.
A data breach can cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in recovery costs
and close your doors while you solve the issues. Once you or your customers’ records
have been hacked and exposed, your reputation may never recover.
Cybersecurity insurance may help you recover financially from a cyberattack, but your
company’s credibility and trustworthiness may not be repaired. Your best defense against
cyberattacks is knowledge and preparedness.
The Wyoming SBDC Network’s Cybersecurity for Small Business Program can help your
business put simple measures in place to make you less attractive to hackers and a
difficult target to attack. The program provides no-cost, comprehensive advising in
a variety of areas to help your business build a cyber readiness shield for your business:
-- Complete cybersecurity situation assessment.
-- Hardware/software inventory.
-- System configuration review and suggestions.
-- Employing training and ongoing maintenance strategy.
-- Incident response plan creation.
-- Administrative and personnel policy creation/review.
The program, funded fully by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and staffed
by highly trained cybersecurity business advisers, requires some of your valuable
time -- but none of your money. Throughout a series of meetings and independent work,
small businesses will put a complete cyber readiness plan in place as quickly as they
would like to move through the program. Some clients work with us for months; others
move through in a few weeks.
Over the last two years, our Cybersecurity Program for Small Business has assisted
over 80 Wyoming small businesses with various cybersecurity issues, and over 25 have
completed our comprehensive advising program.
If you’re interested in working through our complete program or need assistance with
a specific cybersecurity issue, email Program Manager Paul Johnson at pjohns45@uwyo.edu, or visit www.wyomingsbdc.org/cybersecurity-program. We’ve assisted companies with Facebook hijacking, phishing attacks and staff cyber
readiness training. We’ve also provided advising and assistance to companies that
need to be cyber compliant to apply for government contracting.
The most basic cyber readiness practices do not require a great deal of technological
expertise and can make your company much less of a target for cybercriminals. The
best way to protect your business is to be prepared.
The Wyoming SBDC Network offers no-cost advising and technical assistance to help Wyoming entrepreneurs think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. In 2024, the Wyoming SBDC Network helped Wyoming entrepreneurs start 46 new businesses; support 1,870 jobs; and bring a capital impact of $2.9 million to the state. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S SBA.
To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write Dept. 3922, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071-3922.
For more information, go here.
All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
