Cybersecurity: How to Protect Your Small Business

Businesses of all sizes can be potential targets of cyber attacks. In this workshop, we’ll discuss cybersecurity best practices and operational resilience concepts for small business environments that can help mitigate the potential risks of cyber attacks.  Specific focus will be on:

• Basic cybersecurity terminology
• Lifecycle of a cybersecurity attack
• Cybersecurity concepts meant to sustain operations when cyber disruptions occur
• Overview of the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework

This program will include the many no-cost services available to the small business community offered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including over eight different cybersecurity assessments as well as cybersecurity educational and awareness resources.

Learn from the experts

Benjamin Gilbert
Senior Analyst
Office of Cybersecurity & Communications
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Mr. Gilbert serves as a Cybersecurity Advisor within FEMA Region III in Richmond, VA for of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications’(CS&C), National Protection and Programs Directorate in the Department of Homeland Security. He supports the Cybersecurity Advisor (CSA) program and the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications’ mission of strengthening the security and resilience of the Nation’s critical cyber infrastructure.

Mr. Gilbert has been with the Department for over 8 years and has over 13 years of experience in cybersecurity spanning the commercial, federal civilian, and DoD communities. He currently holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certification, the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification and a B.S. in Information Technology.

Maryann Williams
Director, UCEDC PTAC

Maryann brings over 30 years of government contracting experience to her position as director of UCEDC’s PTAC program.  She brings a unique perspective to the job as she’s held positions on both sides of the table – helping businesses to obtain government contracts as well as overseeing the government contract process for a manufacturing concern in New Jersey.

Following an 18-year tenure as a senior contracting official for Greenbrier Industries in Englewood Cliffs, Maryann served as director of the Rockland County PTAC for 13 years. She joined UCEDC in 2007, and under her direction, the PTAC program was awarded the 2010 “Outstanding Center Award” by the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC).

Nadine Clark
Procurement Counselor, UCEDC PTAC

In her role as a procurement counselor with UCEDC’s PTAC program, Nadine assists small business owners with marketing and selling their products and services to federal, state and local government agencies.

With more than 20 years of combined experience in both the public and private sectors of government contracting, Nadine has a thorough grasp of how to navigate the government contracting system.  She believes that this familiarity enables her to successfully help small businesses understand how to find, bid, win, and perform on government contracts.