It is no secret that cyber threats are on the rise — reports of cyberattacks and data breaches can be found in the news almost daily.

More than 2,365 cyberattacks in 2023 affected over 343 million victims, according to Forbes. 

The U.S. Small Business Administration, meanwhile, reports that cyberattacks cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year. That is one hefty price tag.

In an increasingly digital landscape, solutions are needed to help the nation’s 34 million small businesses protect themselves from cyber vulnerability.

The Delaware Small Business Development Center (Delaware SBDC), housed in the University of Delaware’s Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships, is building a comprehensive cyber certification training program to equip SBDC counselors and resource partners nationwide with the tools to help small businesses become more cyber aware. 

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently awarded Delaware SBDC a $350,000 cyber prize to deploy the national cyber certification program, in recognition of its “outstanding leadership in cybersecurity planning for small businesses.”

A more secure digital future

Delaware’s SBDC planted an early flag in cybersecurity training, demonstrating its leadership through two flagship programs, Data Assured and North Star, in 2017 and 2021, respectively. Both programs have been critical in helping small businesses understand and mitigate cybersecurity risks. The North Star program now will expand to include a cybersecurity certification.

“This program is built to train our SBDC consultants within our own community to help our small businesses across the nation sharpen their skills and understand the basic level of cybersecurity awareness needed to safeguard themselves from cyberattacks,” said Jacob Blacksten, Delaware SBDC cybersecurity program manager and co-founder of North Star.

The Delaware SBDC North Star Cybersecurity Program, which already is used in over 20 states, will be available to SBDC consultants in all 50 states and territories, as well as to resource partners such as women’s business centers, among other SBA programs.

Aditi Dussault, acting associate administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development, expressed little surprise in Delaware SBDC’s selection for the prize. 

“Of course, the University of Delaware got this. Your brand reputation is out there,” Dussault said, pointing to Blacksten’s early action to develop this type of training for the benefit of small business owners. 

This new prize funding, she continued, will allow Delaware SBDC to take “something that was very innovative that you were doing here because it was the right thing to do … and now expand it and really bring it across the country. I’m so for that innovation, for that thoughtfulness. I’m excited to see what comes from it.” 

Small businesses often don’t know the extent of their risk or how their operations might be affected. Most don’t have any backup plan in place to provide resilience. Expanding this training opportunity beyond SBDC counselors can help close that gap. 

The idea is by training SBA advisors and resource partners, SBDCs can reach the hundreds of thousands of small businesses with which they interact. America’s SBDC network comprises over 1,200 centers, including Delaware SBDC. The network includes more than 3,000 advisors who serve more than 1 million small business clients each year nationwide.

“There are so many more entrepreneurs out there that need this support. Leveraging this across all of the network and for SBA partners will open the door for so many more businesses to become cybersecure,” said Bruce Purdy, associate administrator for the U.S. SBA Office of Small Business Development Centers.

A large majority of cyberattacks affect business finances. Small businesses are often particularly hard hit. 

“Eighty-six percent of small businesses are not properly prepared to handle a cyber incident,” said Delaware SBDC Director Mike Bowman. “This is why having trained experts in their corner is important and why the funding from SBA to expand this Delaware SBDC program matters.”

Hosted at the Delaware SBDC, the national North Star Cybersecurity Program will equip SBDC advisors to guide small businesses toward a more secure digital future. SBDC participants will gain essential cybersecurity knowledge and access to existing support for helping entrepreneurs protect their operations and mitigate risks.

In 2023, 136 SBDC consultants from 38 states/territories completed the North Star Cybersecurity Certification Program. An additional 50 SBDC representatives from 17 states are currently undergoing the training. Beginning in 2026, each of the nation’s 1,200 SBDCs will be required to have at least one person on their team certified through North Star, developed by Delaware SBDC.