Several years ago, cybersecurity was not a significant worry for small business proprietor Brooks Woodward. His establishment, Nichols Lures in Thomasville, operated with a compact group where a data loss or system breach would have been inconvenient yet manageable. Nowadays, the company has expanded considerably and is more dependent on its digital framework—such as websites, inventory systems, and social media platforms—making a cyberattack capable of causing substantial disturbances and serious financial repercussions. Safeguarding these assets has become essential.

“The idea of potentially losing control over those resources is quite alarming,” states Woodward.

Thanks to a collaboration with the University of Georgia, Woodward is feeling increasingly assured.

In early 2024, Woodward took part in the UGA CyberArch initiative, where he recognized how much more susceptible the digital aspect of his business had become and prioritized security significantly more. CyberArch assisted Woodward in promptly applying best practices and other strategies to enhance his business’s cybersecurity stance.

CyberArch, a program managed by the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government, one of the eight branches of UGA Public Service and Outreach, aids community collaborators in boosting cybersecurity awareness and advancing their capacity to prevent and address cyber threats. UGA student interns, pursuing majors that range from computer programming to management information systems and cybersecurity, are organized into teams of four to carry out systematic cybersecurity risk evaluations that start with an initial review and culminate in on-site assessments. They subsequently provide comprehensive final reports with tailored recommendations to strengthen each partner’s cybersecurity framework.

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