Small Business Optimism Suffers Largest Decline in Two Years

A look at the week of July 9 in public advocacy for the IT channel: The optimism of small business owners took the largest month-to-month dive from May to June since June 2010, says the Washington Post. For the eleventh year in a row, the federal government has missed its goal of contracting out its business to small businesses, says the Washington Business Journal. A new government report showed that cyberattacks on U.S. energy companies, public water districts and other infrastructure facilities have risen considerably in the past year, says Reuters.

Small business optimism suffers largest decline in two years – The optimism of small business owners took the largest month-to-month dive from May to June since June 2010, says the Washington Post. The National Federation of Independent Business' optimism index showed that this most recent setback has erased all modest gains over the first five months of the year.

Small businesses lose out on billions as feds miss contracting goal – For the eleventh year in a row, the federal government has missed its goal of contracting out its business to small businesses, says the Washington Business Journal. A new report released by the Small Business Administration indicated that last year the federal government awarded 21.7 percent of its contracting dollars to small businesses – missing its goal of 23 percent set by Congress.

US infrastructure sees spike in cyber threats: report – A new government report showed that cyberattacks on U.S. energy companies, public water districts and other infrastructure facilities have risen considerably in the past year, says Reuters. The Department of Homeland Security's Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team received 198 suspected cyber incident reports in 2011 – "more than four times the 2010 level."