Small Business - Big Opportunity®
May 12, 2015 | Colorado Springs, CO
Entrepreneurs gathered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on May 12, 2015, to discuss the challenges facing small businesses, including cyber risks and solutions to overcome these hurdles.
“Small business is the threat vector right now,” warned Michael Echols, Director, Joint Program Management Office, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, addressing the topic of cybersecurity.
Speaking at the Small Business – Big Opportunity® event, hosted by the Travelers Institute, Echols explained that larger companies have upgraded their computer systems’ security in recent years, prompting hackers to focus on smaller businesses as “easy targets.” He said that, for many small businesses, it is not easy to discover a breach. “I have worked with small businesses that faced reputational loss because of information that was stolen off their systems, and they find out because there is an article on the Internet or Yelp … and they are effectively out of business.”
Watch Highlights from This Event
The Travelers Institute visited Colorado Springs, Colorado as a part of a national series of symposia, called Small Business – Big Opportunity®, to help identify solutions to challenges facing small businesses today. This video highlights the event’s top four ideas for small businesses and cybersecurity.
Speakers
Keynote Address: Economic Update
Joan Woodward, President, Travelers Institute; Executive Vice President, Public Policy; The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Panel Discussion: “Finding Solutions to Small Business Challenges”
Moderator: Joan Woodward, President, Travelers Institute; Executive Vice President, Public Policy; The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Edward Cadena, District Director, Colorado District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
Michael Echols, Director, Joint Program Management Office, National Protection and Program Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Jeff Van Gulick, Practice Leader, Commercial Lines & Executive Liability Practices, HUB International of Colorado
John E. Putnam, Putnam Assurance & Risk Services, LLC
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Our small business advocacy initiative, Small Business—Big Opportunity®, helps promote small business success by convening entrepreneurs, policymakers and thought leaders to explore solutions to everyday small business challenges.
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