On Wednesday, the Senate Small Business Committee heard arguments that entrepreneurs should have their technology training subsidized and be offered tax breaks to boost cybersecurity efforts. The prioritization of the issue for small business owners was emphasized by Committee Chair Jim Risch, who introduced legislation to create cybersecurity assistance units at small business development centers across the country. “Cybersecurity hasn’t risen to the level of a matter critical for business success for many entrepreneurs. They see it strictly as an IT issue,” said Gina Abate, owner of Maryland cyber protection consulting firm Edwards Performance Solutions, during the hearing. She added that small businesses need to create cultures of safety through tactics like enforcing proper password management, encrypting hard drives, and limiting user access. These are low-cost measures that can make a major impact at small organizations, which suffered 58 percent of data breaches nationwide last year. The problem is that many small businesses lack the resources to effectively train their employees to prevent cyber-attacks. Business owners across the country are looking for government assistance in purchasing cybersecurity equipment and training services.