The U.S. Senate will soon consider legislation aimed at providing simplified resources to help small businesses protect themselves and their customers from cyber threats.  The bill, entitled the MAIN STREET Cybersecurity Act of 2017 (an abbreviation for the Making Available Information Now to Strengthen Trust and Resilience and Enhance Enterprise Technology Cybersecurity Act of 2017), was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on April 5.   

As currently written, the legislation would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) to develop and disseminate resources tailored to small business and their specific cybersecurity needs.  In particular, the guidance would include “simple, basic controls to assist small business concerns in defending against common cybersecurity risks.”  The guidance would also focus on tools that are “technology-neutral” and that “can be implemented using technologies that are commercial and off-the-shelf.”  NIST would also be required to consider methods adopted through the Small Business Development Cyber Strategy, which was enacted last year by Congress and aims to strengthen small business cybersecurity by enhancing infrastructure.

Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the bill on March 29.  It is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of senators, including Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and ranking member Bill Nelson (D-FL).  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Small Business Association both support the legislation.