Back on Air: Small Biz Tech Updates
SBA Cyber Vouchers: A $5,000 Boost for Your Security
I know the SBA can be a bit hit or miss sometimes, but this is one of those moments where they’re actually doing something useful. The small business administration is expanding its cyber security voucher assistance to 12 more states this month. While I don’t have the exact list of states yet, if you’re in Michigan or Illinois, there’s a good chance you qualify. These vouchers offer $5,000 in matching funds for qualified businesses to buy security assessments and employee training. For most small manufacturers or companies with up to 20 employees, that could cover half of what you’d normally spend on these services. It’s your money coming back to help secure your business. Don’t let the villain of breaches get you down; use this opportunity to take control.
Microsoft M365 Security Defaults: Multi-Factor Authentication is Coming
Microsoft is forcing its way into your security game by enabling certain defaults on all Microsoft 365 tenants starting this month. This includes multi-factor authentication and conditional access, which are huge steps toward keeping your data safe from the villains of unauthorized access and breaches. You’ll need to configure these settings and train your team on how to use them effectively. Multi-factor authentication means you’ll need a phone or another email address set up for verification purposes — just make sure it’s not your main work email, as that’s not recommended. Get ahead of this now so you’re not scrambling when the defaults kick in.
Anthropic Releases Cloud 3.7 High Coup: AI for Small Businesses
Anthropic has released a new version of its AI model called Cloud 3.7 High Coup, which is priced at $0.8 per million input tokens — making it more accessible and affordable for small businesses to integrate into their workflows. This isn’t as powerful as the big brain models like Anthropic’s Opus 4.7, but it’s great for tasks that don’t require deep context or complex coding. If you’re looking to automate ticket reviews or handle simple information manipulation, this could be your go-to tool. It might not save you a ton of money compared to the bigger models yet, but it’s a good start and worth exploring if you’re trying to get into AI without breaking the bank.
Key Takeaways
- Check if you qualify for the SBA’s $5,000 cyber security voucher program.
- Prepare your Microsoft 365 tenant for multi-factor authentication and conditional access by configuring settings and training your team.
- Explore Anthropic’s Cloud 3.7 High Coup AI model to see if it fits into your workflow, especially for simpler tasks that don’t require deep context or complex coding.
Questions about anything we covered today? Schedule a free IT consultation and we’ll walk through it with your business in mind.