Charleston, W.Va. – With cybersecurity threats to small businesses on the rise — reports have shown that, approximately 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses, with incidents occurring approximately every 11 seconds — the West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC) is proud to announce that all 17 of the organization’s highly-skilled business coaches have successfully completed the North Star Cybersecurity Certification Training Program.
This program is specifically designed to educate SBDCs and other Small Business Association (SBA) resource partners on the principles of cybersecurity, including phishing; password security; malware; software updates; data security and privacy; standards and frameworks; cyber insurance; cyber advising and more, so that they may best serve their small business clients across the nation.
“Cybersecurity is one of the many no-cost coaching service areas that the WV SBDC can assist our small business clients with throughout the lifecycle of their business,” WV SBDC State Director, Will Miller, said. “We felt it was important to give our coaches this opportunity to further expand their knowledge in this critical area because small businesses often face cybersecurity threats to their customers’ data, and we want our coaches to be properly equipped to offer support for entrepreneurs in preparation for these situations.”
About the West Virginia Small Business Development Center
The WV SBDC, an accredited partner program with the U.S. Small Business Administration, a division of the West Virginia Division of Economic Development, helps small businesses at all stages of development by connecting owners to programs, resources, and coaches.
WV SBDC business coaches have professional certifications ranging from Certified Business Advisor® (CBA), Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP), MBAs, design thinking, AI, cybersecurity, and exporting, along with experience in technology, innovation, manufacturing, finance, management, HR and marketing.
This program is supported by federal funding. Full disclosures available at wvsbdc.com/fundingdisclosure.
For more information about the WV SBDC and its services, visit wvsbdc.com.