Bill Overview
Title: Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Pilot Program Act
Description: This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 the Cybersecurity Assistance Pilot Program that provides grants to states to assist small businesses in developing their cybersecurity infrastructure.
Sponsors: Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]
Target Audience
Population: people employed by or reliant on small businesses globally
Estimated Size: 60000000
- There are approximately 400 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worldwide, according to a World Bank estimate.
- An SME on average employs 10-250 people, significantly contributing to employment.
- Cybersecurity is critical as digital threats continue to evolve, affecting all sectors globally.
- Small businesses may face challenges in affording or implementing cybersecurity measures without support.
Reasoning
- The Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Pilot Program is designed to provide support to small businesses to help them improve their cybersecurity infrastructure.
- The program targets small businesses which are a significant part of the US economy by providing grants to states, which can be used to subsidize or fully support cybersecurity upgrades.
- Considering the budget constraints, not all small businesses can be reached; therefore, it's critical to prioritize those with higher vulnerability or greater need for cybersecurity assistance.
- We should capture a variety of impacts, including those from individuals within varying roles in small businesses, different industries, and across different geographic locations.
- The program's effects on wellbeing are likely to vary by how directly the individual perceives an increase in security or operational benefits from the policy.
- Some individuals may not feel a direct impact from the policy but might experience secondary benefits, like increased job security or reduced stress from worrying about data breaches.
Simulated Interviews
Owner of a small tech startup (Austin, Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems pretty beneficial. I often worry about our cybersecurity, but it’s usually not within our budget to make significant improvements.
- Grants to help us can reduce my business expenses and make it easier to attract clients by guaranteeing their data’s safety.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Manager at a small retail chain (Cleveland, Ohio)
Age: 33 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this could really help us enhance our systems. Customers often ask about how secure their payments are.
- It might help us reduce the chance of data breaches and improve our client relationships.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 2 |
Financial advisor for small businesses (Miami, Florida)
Age: 58 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe this policy gives small businesses I work with a significant leg up.
- It allows them to reallocate resources usually set aside for cybersecurity to other areas, like growth or development.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Freelance graphic designer (Los Angeles, California)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don’t believe the policy affects me directly, but it’s nice to think my clients might see indirect benefits.
- If they can secure their businesses, that means perhaps longer contracts for me without interruptions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
IT support specialist for a small enterprise (Seattle, Washington)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is fantastic, although I worry about its reach given the budget constraints.
- It’s essential that the businesses that need it most get first access to these resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Accountant at a small business consultancy (Atlanta, Georgia)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While my own job's practices don't directly benefit, my clients have been asking for help with cybersecurity.
- A policy like this could make consulting services like mine even more valuable to small businesses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Barista at a local coffee shop (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't think this policy will impact me personally unless my workplace uses some grant to upgrade our systems.
- It's good to know small businesses will have improved protection against threats.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Digital marketer for a small business (New York, New York)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having a significant focus on cybersecurity is crucial, and this policy can assist in enhancing our systems.
- I'm optimistic this will lead to more secure operations and perhaps even grow our client base.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Software developer at a small app development company (Denver, Colorado)
Age: 27 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's really helpful to know there might be financial assistance for better cybersecurity.
- After earlier incidents, any improvement or aid in security is a relief.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 2 |
Owner of a small health food store (Portland, Oregon)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While not presently my top priority, I understand future value in upgrading our digital security as our business grows.
- It's encouraging to know there's potential support for when I need it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 3 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $70000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $90000000)
Year 2: $72000000 (Low: $52000000, High: $92000000)
Year 3: $75000000 (Low: $54000000, High: $95000000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The balance between cost and effectiveness in cybersecurity assistance will be crucial for the program's success.
- There needs to be a rigorous monitoring and evaluation framework to measure program impact and optimize grant allocation.
- Cyber threats are evolving rapidly; thus, the program must remain adaptable to new challenges.