Ohio Department of Development Offers Free Cyber Support to Ohio’s Small Businesses Through CyberSEC

The Ohio Department of Development today announced the launch of CyberSECURE, a new program designed to help small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity and prepare for upcoming changes in federal contracting requirements.

CyberSECURE is part of Governor DeWine’s CyberOhio initiative, which was created to enhance cybersecurity practices across state agencies and local entities. Through a partnership with Ohio APEX Accelerators and the Ohio Small Business Development Centers, the new CyberSECURE program provides up to 60 hours of free, one-on-one consulting to help businesses improve their digital security, establish or maintain their presence in the defense marketplace, and navigate new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 requirements. The U.S. Department of Defense is implementing CMMC 2.0, which will soon require companies seeking government contracts to be federally certified in cybersecurity. This certification is designed to enforce the protection of sensitive unclassified information shared by the Department with its contractors and subcontractors. While the CyberSECURE program does not serve as a third-party certification entity, it leverages the Ohio APEX Accelerator network and the Ohio Small Business Development Centers to offer eligible companies an initial 10 hours of free consultation with qualified cybersecurity professionals on tailored cybersecurity protection strategies and comprehensive cybersecurity assessments.

Eligibility:

• For-profit businesses in Ohio
• Independently owned and operated for at least one year
• Between two and 500 employees (or meet applicable Small Business Administration size standards)
• Registered with a local Small Businesses Development Center and/or Ohio APEX Accelerator
• Expanding into commercial and government markets