Small Business Owners, Advisors Convene at Summit to Improve Cyber Security

Training and Awareness Vital to Helping Minimize Risk

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Oct 31, 2013, 01:55 ET

ROSELAND, N.J., Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 80 regional small business owners, accounting professionals, and other advisors convened yesterday at the second annual Small Business Summit on Security, Privacy, and Trust, co-hosted by ADP^®. Attendees learned from cyber security experts about ways they can better safeguard data relating to their business, employees, and clients.

As part of its commitment to National Cyber Security Month, ADP, a leading provider of human resource, payroll and benefits solutions, co-hosted the summit in partnership with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), Microsoft^®, ESET, the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the William Paterson University Small Business Development Center, and the Passaic County, New Jersey Department of Economic Development.

James Mottola, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge and a presenter at the summit, said: "Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks because they often do not have the resources or expertise to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated cybercrimes. Small businesses must be diligent to maintain their security to ensure commerce can continue with the fewest interruptions."

"Ninety three percent of American adults say they've had no computer security training in the past twelve months," added Stephen Cobb, senior security researcher with ESET and summit presenter. "Education and communication are vital to building awareness. A well-trained workforce can significantly help avert or minimize the impact of fraudulent activities and can also help a small business gain a competitive advantage."

Ben Steinberg, chief information officer of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, recommended small business owners engrain safety into all facets of their organization. "With the right planning, small business owners can build a culture of security and can also influence others by holding their vendors and partners to those same standards," Steinberg said.

Roland Cloutier, vice president and chief security officer at ADP, noted: "It is important for small business owners and their advisors to understand their vulnerabilities and to leverage technology to help protect themselves and the data others have entrusted to them. It is a privilege to partner with such elite security experts to help small businesses understand and navigate cyber risks."

Through its commitment to corporate social responsibility, ADP often invites students, business owners, clients, and other members of society to diverse educational events, including programs like this summit designed to raise awareness about cyber security.

Photos are available upon request.

About ADP
With more than $11 billion in revenues and more than 60 years of experience, ADP^® (NASDAQ: ADP) serves approximately 620,000 clients in more than 125 countries. As one of the world's largest providers of business outsourcing and human capital management solutions, ADP offers a wide range of human resource, payroll, talent management, tax and benefits administration solutions from a single source, and helps clients comply with regulatory and legislative changes, such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ADP's easy-to-use solutions for employers provide superior value to companies of all types and sizes. ADP is also a leading provider of integrated computing solutions to auto, truck, motorcycle, marine, recreational vehicle, and heavy equipment dealers throughout the world. For more information about ADP or to contact a local ADP sales office, reach us at 1.800.225.5237 or visit the company's Web site at www.adp.com.