Your Chamber’s Cybersecurity Council met on Wednesday, November 2nd at the UTSA Downtown campus to discuss cybersecurity training and support services with UTSA’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The council also discussed the upcoming Alamo AFCEA Chapter Event (Alamo ACE) set for November 14-17 at La Cantera Resort.
Council chair Larry Hurtado, Founder of Evanesco Inc and Managing Director with QNext Corp, introduced Jaime Martinez and Troy Richardson of UTSA’s SBDC to talk about the Center for Government Contracting and provide information on some of the business advising and training they offer. As one of more than 60 SBDC centers located across the state, the UTSA SBDC serves as a specialty center, granting it access to serve 79 counties across the southwestern part of Texas. Some of the business advising services offered by the UTSA SBDC are government contracting, cybersecurity for small businesses, emergency preparedness, and employer services. The trainings can be provided as a one-on-one or be tailored to a large group within a company, are offered both in person and virtually, and are often available at no cost. Pertaining to cybersecurity training, Jaime and Troy also mentioned UTSA’s partnership with the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII), an institute funded through the Department of Energy (DoE) to assess and aid manufacturers’ cyber threats while also providing pathways towards greater energy efficiency. CyManII’s goal of training one million workers in manufacturing and small business sectors has propelled the creation of a new program in collaboration with UTSA SBDC that provides manufacturers the knowledge to operationalize cybersecurity in their spaces in order to meet compliance requirements and protect their businesses. The UTSA SBDC highlights their thoroughness in following up and guiding companies that seek their services to ensure business success. They are in continuous communications with other SBDC centers across the state to share information and bring in subject matter experts if needed.
More information on the UTSA SBDC can be found here.
Following the presentation, Larry introduced Tony Burris from Alamo AFCEA to provide information on the upcoming Alamo ACE event. The Alamo ACE event focuses on collaboration between government, industry, and academia, and is expected to host around 3,000 attendees. The event generates revenue that is then donated through scholarships and awards to STEM students, wounded warrior support services, and military families. Additionally, the event serves as a pristine opportunity to highlight the San Antonio cybersecurity ecosystem, spotlighting it as the premier place to invest, do business, and bring high value technology missions. For more information on the Alamo ACE event, visit the Alamo AFCEA website.
For more information on the Cybersecurity Council click here.