The US House of Representatives passed a bill that would provide cybersecurity guidance to the nation’s small businesses.

The NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act (H.R. 2105) will require the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to issue voluntary cybersecurity guidelines specific to the needs of small businesses.

The NIST cybersecurity framework, which consists of voluntary cybersecurity standards that can be customized to various industry sectors, would be tailored for small businesses to “protect business owners, their employees, and their customer base, all while contributing positively to the economy,” ssaid Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), who sponsored the bill.

“Small businesses are especially vulnerable, with some reports noting that 43 percent of cyber-attacks specifically target them,” said Rep. Webster. “These small businesses are more susceptible to attacks due to the limited access to the tools they need to prepare for such an event.”

A similar bipartisan bill that passed the Senate, the MAIN STREET Cybersecurity Act ( S. 770), was sponsored by Sens. Brian Schatz (R-Hawaii) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho).

https://webster.house.gov/press-releases?id=7EF180CC-DD37-4996-A9F3-38E1C33B3675