The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center at Valdosta State University will present #CyberStrength from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 1.

Registration is $69 per person between now and Sunday, Feb. 25, and $99 per person thereafter. This includes all course materials.

Sponsored by Guardian Bank, #CyberStrength will help business owners and operators master the skills necessary to position their company to satisfy new regulations related to cyber security requirements. It will help them prepare and strengthen their cyber security infrastructure and share with them opportunities available to those who have a strong, cyber security plan.

Throughout the one-day course, #CyberStrength attendees will learn steps they can take to harden their business’s cyber security infrastructure. This includes implementing multi-factor authentication; limiting information system access to authorized users; authorizing wireless access prior to allowing such connections; encrypting data; restricting, disabling, and preventing the use of nonessential programs, functions, protocols, and services; controlling and limiting user-installed software; enforcing a minimum password complexity; testing the organizational incident response capability; and more. They will also learn the importance of having an established cyber security infrastructure in place when it comes to maintaining customer and vendor relationships. 

All #CyberStrength attendees will have the opportunity to meet privately with a Small Business Development Center consultant to discuss any specific business issues or challenges they may be facing.

Headquartered in Athens, the Small Business Development Center is a partnership between the University of Georgia, Valdosta State University, the University of West Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University, Clayton State University, and Kennesaw State University. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the United States Small Business Administration, boasts 17 offices across the state, and strives to enhance the economic well-being of Georgians by providing a wide range of educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, including no-cost, confidential consulting services.

The UGA Small Business Development Center at VSU depends on resource partners like Guardian Bank to provide small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and resources needed to develop business strategy and improve performance.

The UGA Small Business Development Center at VSU serves the citizens of Atkinson, Berrien, Brooks, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, and Thomas counties and is considered an essential resource for small businesses in South Georgia. 

Please contact Cindy Corgan, program coordinator with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center at VSU, at [email protected] or (229) 245-3738 to reserve a seat or learn more. Class size is limited.

#CyberStrength will meet in VSU’s University Center Magnolia room. The University Center is located at 1215 N. Patterson St.