Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) voted to support the ‘NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act of 2017’ (H.R. 2105) and the ‘Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Improvement Act’ (H.R. 2763).

The NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act of 2017 directs the National Institute of Standard and Technology to publish standards, guidelines, and tools that small businesses can use to enhance their cybersecurity and protect private client data. The SBIR and STTR Improvement Act expands programs where government agencies and companies work together for early stages of innovation, and provides opportunities for products and companies to grow out of these important investments.

Since San Diego County is the recipient of more Department of Defense spending than almost any other county in the United States, the region is likely to see a significant economic boost from this legislation. In fact, according to a report by San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC), $8.6 billion in procurement contracts were projected to flow into San Diego in fiscal year 2016.

“For our economy to grow and expand, we must provide small businesses all of the resources we can to thrive and succeed, said Rep. Scott Peters. “Small businesses account for over half of the U.S. jobs in America, but struggle with investing and hiring proper personnel to protect themselves from cyberattacks. These two pieces of legislation take measures to ensure that our small businesses have the tools to battle cyber threats and compete in today’s economy.”