US Senators Introduce Cybersecurity Bill

In a press release, US Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Gary Peters (D-MI) announced that they introduced The Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Act of 2019, which aims to better educate small businesses on cybersecurity through counselors and resources offered at Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs).  Specifically, the bill directs the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to become a cybersecurity clearinghouse by consolidating and managing federal government cybersecurity materials so small businesses can easily access information in one place.

“As technology continues to play an integral role in the way business is conducted in the 21st century economy, we must equip our small businesses with the tools they need to combat cyber criminals and protect their networks,” Rubio said.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing tens of millions of Americans nationwide,” Peters said.

The Small Business Cybersecurity Act:

• Permits SBDCs to use their current grant funding from SBA to provide cybersecurity training and technical resources to small businesses.
• Directs SBA, in consultation with DHS, and SBDCs to manage and disseminate cybersecurity materials created by federal government agencies.
• Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with SBA, to create a “train-the-trainer” program with SBDC counselors and requires DHS to develop online cybersecurity materials for small businesses to utilize.

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The Regulatory Mix Today: US Senators Introduce Cybersecurity Bill, Senators Request More Accurate Broadband Maps from FCC

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Senators Request More Accurate Broadband Maps from FCC

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) sent a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai regarding the FCC’s role in ensuring the accuracy of broadband maps. 

“According to your 2018 Broadband Deployment Report, more than three in four rural Iowans have access to broadband.  More broadly, the report indicates that 90.5 percent of all Iowans have access to broadband. As much as we wish that were the case, we can tell you that the FCC data drastically overstates broadband access throughout our state,” the senators wrote.

“While we appreciate everything that the Commission has done to expand rural broadband connectivity, it is critical for these maps to be improved so public and private partners alike have access to the accurate data needed to bridge the digital divide.  A validated set of data based upon standardized methods of granular reporting will be essential to ensure that funding is available throughout rural America.”

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.