Cybersecurity

No matter the size of your business, Pinellas County Economic Development, in cooperation with FSBDC and APEX Accelerator provides support for companies looking to keep their business secure. The Department of Defense (DoD) requires small business contractors to comply with cybersecurity standards, especially when it comes to government contracting as there are specific cybersecurity standards for the protection of unclassified data.

Small business contractors play a crucial role in maintaining cybersecurity standards, especially when engaged in government contracting. Staying informed and implementing robust security measures is essential for protecting sensitive data.

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Cyber Florida at the University of South Florida

Cyber Florida’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) program provides no-cost resources, tools, and guidance to Florida’s public and private critical infrastructure entities to help mitigate their cyberattack vulnerabilities. This program is available to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in implementing basic cybersecurity protocols and policies to achieve a cybersecurity foundation. Available tools include:

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North Star Cybersecurity Toolkit for Small Businesses

The America’s Small Business Development Center (ASBDC) has partnered with North Star to provide resources for small businesses that cover various topics and can help your small business navigate the sometimes overly complicated subject matter of cyber and data protection. Learn:

  • Awareness
  • Training
  • Education
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The SBDC National Information Clearinghouse (SBDCNET)

The SBDCNet comprehensive collection of information, resources, and tools for small business cybersecurity offers everything from the basics of cybersecurity – to how to protect your business – to advanced topics such as security plan development/implementation and requirements for government contracting. Learn:

  • Awareness
  • Training
  • Education
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Cybersecurity-as-a-Service and Support from the Department of Defense

The Department of Defense (DoD) offers free cybersecurity services for cleared defense contractors. Learn more on the Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Portal, or email to request additional details about these services.

  • The U.S. Air Force’s Blue Cyber Education Series for Small Businesses provides free and open- to-the-public cybersecurity information and support.
  • Sponsored by the DoD Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), Project Spectrum offers various services to improve cybersecurity readiness, resiliency, and compliance for small and medium-sized businesses and the federal manufacturing supply chain.
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The Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) Industrial Base Collaborative Information Sharing Environment (DCISE)

The Department of Defense has proposed changes to the eligibility requirements outlined in 32 CFR part 236 that will expand the program to contractors that own or operate a covered contractor information system. Available cybersecurity assistance programs include:

  • DCISE3 – A program that offers real-time monitoring of your organization’s network traffic, threat detection, and alerts, with the option to block malicious traffic.
  • Cyber Resilience Analysis (CRA) – This program offers a structured review of an organization’s cybersecurity position to understand cybersecurity capabilities and operational resilience and improve the ability to manage risk to critical services and assets.
  • Adversary Emulation (AE) – This program analyzes an organization’s vulnerability to threat actors based on network architecture, software, and processes.

National Security Agency (NSA) Cybersecurity Collaboration Center

These resources are offered to any prime or sub with a Department of Defense contract or access to non-public Department of Defense Information.

  • Protective Domain Name System – This service combines commercial cyber threat feeds with the NSA’s unique insights to filter external DNS queries and block known malicious or suspicious website traffic, mitigating nation-state malware, spearphishing, botnets, and more.
  • Attack Surface Management – This service helps DIB customers find and fix issues before they become compromises by identifying DIB internet-facing assets, and then leveraging commercial scanning services to find vulnerabilities or misconfigurations on these networks. Each customer receives a tailored report with issues to remediate, prioritized based on both the severity of the vulnerability and whether or not it is being exploited.