Delaware SBDC Wins SBA Cyber Prize, Expands North Star Cybersecurity Program to Empower Small Businesses
The Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is proud to announce the rapid growth of the North Star Cybersecurity Program, designed to empower and educate advisors and small-business entrepreneurs with top-of-the-line cybersecurity training. With $350,000 in grant funding through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Cyber Prize Competition, the ASBDC North Star Cybersecurity Program will equip business advisors with cutting-edge knowledge and resources as they guide America’s entrepreneurs toward a more secure future.
AMERICA’S ENTREPRENUERS VS. BAD ACTORS – WHO LOSES?
Small businesses have a lot to worry about – typically, proactive work on cybersecurity falls to the bottom of the entrepreneurial to-do list. The scary part? That ‘quiet’ threat of cyberattacks on small businesses is growing – According to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, cyber threats are rapidly rising – with 30,458 security incidents and 10,626 confirmed breaches analyzed in 2023, there is a two-fold increase in confirmed attacks since 2022. Not only has the number of incidents increased – the damage to businesses is worsening. The global average cost of a data breach reached USD 4.88 million in 2024.
Data breaches can have devastating consequences for small businesses, impacting their reputation, customer trust, and intellectual property. Mike Bowman, State Director of the Delaware SBDC, knows that cyber-attacks should be treated as a “wake-up call” to small businesses. “They are vulnerable to the enormous amount of internet fraud, hacking, ransom, and reputation damage occurring every day.”
By investing in cybersecurity training and best practices, small businesses can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to cyberattacks and mitigate the potential damage. U.S. Small Business Administration officials want to proactively address this need nationwide, including SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman: “The economy is increasingly digital,” Guzman shared, “and the SBA is readying its powerful network so that America’s 34 million small businesses can continue to grow while also building cyber resilience.”
The Delaware SBDC has been working for years to help our clients with hands-on cybersecurity efforts, and to share our knowledge and expertise with our national network, America’s Small Business Development Centers. Who better to deliver cybersecurity training to an entrepreneur than their no-cost, expertly trained advisor? And so – the North Star Program was born.
AN EXPANDING ‘NORTH STAR’ FOR CYBER TRAINING
The North Star Cybersecurity Program provides an opportunity for advisors and consultants across the country, primarily those funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, to become the cyber-savvy helping hand that small businesses need. The program, now hosted by the Delaware Small Business Development Center at the University of Delaware, has achieved remarkable success in the last few years by collaborating with key SBDCs to educate SBDC Advisors.
Delivered through a blended learning approach, combining online modules with live webinars and workshops, a flexible format allows participants to learn at their own pace and benefit from interactive sessions with industry experts. The curriculum covers a wide range of relevant topics, including phishing and social engineering, password management, software updates, compliance, ransomware, and even cyber insurance.
The training even addresses incident response – a crucial step in minimizing damage to a small business if they are attacked. Cyber is a complex beast – many technological terms or industry concepts create a barrier for business owners to be at their best. North Star keeps that in mind, offering a training program engineered to cross those barriers – the format of the lessons and applied examples will help educate advisors, and their clients, at an approachable pace. Having an advisor or consultant to call who is not only a business expert, but well-versed in cybersecurity standards and frameworks, data privacy, and recovery can make a world of difference. Through North Star’s expanded training capacity, advisors at SBDCs, SCORE, and Women’s Business Centers around the country can be that difference.
The program has already certified 28 SBDC consultants under the 2025 version and 126 throughout 2024, with a total of 42 states or territories reached in the last two years. With the support of SBA’s Cyber Prize grant funding, North Star is primed to significantly impact the baseline of cybersecurity knowledge in every industry.
ADVANCING CYBER READINESS FROM DELAWARE’S INNOVATION HUB
For those in the First State, this is an opportunity to take a small-but-mighty approach to solving big problems like rising cyber threats. “Delaware has always been a leader in many innovative areas – cybersecurity is no exception.” shared Jacob Blacksten, a co-founder of North Star and DE SBDC’s Cybersecurity Program Manager. ”
Through collaborative leadership and a drive to show Delaware as an incubator for innovation, the North Star program finds its home in the high-growth, future-focused FinTech Innovation Hub on the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus. As Sarah Mailloux, Associate State Director for the Delaware SBDC, noted, “This is one more feather in the University of Delaware’s hat as a leader in workforce and economic development in the future of work.”
Moving quickly into the future of technological innovation, small businesses will be challenged by cyber threats, data privacy concerns, and technology that out-paces common knowledge. With well-trained advisors across the country, support from the U.S. Small Business Administration, and an experienced program delivery team, the North Star program can help entrepreneurs stay safe and prepared in our evolving digital landscape.
“The leadership at the Delaware SBDC saw the importance of cybersecurity early on and has been a driving force in ensuring small businesses nationwide have a fighting chance against cyberattacks.