U.S. Chamber of Commerce Brings Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign to Columbia

COLUMBIA — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the University of South Carolina’s SC Cyber, today hosted a cybersecurity summit aimed at helping small and mid-size businesses develop, evaluate, and strengthen their cybersecurity programs.

“Risk management is an everyday reality. But through awareness, education, and public-private partnerships, we can turn cyber challenges into opportunities to innovate, create jobs, and grow the economy,” said Ann Beauchesne, senior vice president for National Security and Emergency Preparedness at the U.S. Chamber. “South Carolina is a leader in cybersecurity. The U.S. Chamber will take what we’ve learned from industry leaders in Columbia and throughout the state, and we’ll make sure Washington hears what businesses need to be more secure and resilient.”

The cybersecurity summit brought together top experts from government, law enforcement, and the private sector to discuss cybersecurity threats to the private sector, challenges for small and mid-size businesses, and public-private collaboration on cyber incident response, among other topics.

The summit, held at the University of South Carolina, featured speakers including former U.S. House of Representatives Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers, City of Columbia Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin, SC Cyber Founder and Retired Major General Lester D. Eisner, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, Partnerships and Engagement Branch Chief Eric L. Goldstein, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Andrew Grafton, National Institute of Standards and Technology Advisor for Information System Security Victoria Pillitteri, and South Carolina Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Ted Pitts.

“We are excited to partner with the U.S. Chamber and the University of South Carolina on today’s summit, which is sponsored by Immedion,” said South Carolina Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ted Pitts. “When our data is secure, businesses can grow. Cyber security means job security, and South Carolina is leading the way nationally on information security innovation.”

The Columbia summit is the second in a series of cybersecurity events the U.S. Chamber is hosting this year. You can learn more about the event here and the Chamber’s cybersecurity awareness campaign here.


The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. The U.S. Chamber’s National Security Task Force is made up of more than 200 member organizations, and the Chamber’s Cyber Working Group is made up of more than 200 companies.