Top FBI and law enforcement experts from across California will be coming to the Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock this Thursday to co-host a free cyber security seminar.

Tabbed as the “Cybersecurity Seminar,” the event is a collaboration between the City of Turlock, the Turlock Chamber of Commerce and the Stanislaus Latino Chamber of Commerce. Speakers include Alexander Schmidt from the FBI Sacramento Cyber Task Force, Marc Coopwood, Vice President Public Sector for Apex Technology Management, and George Passidakis, Director of Sales and Marketing for Apex Technology Management. The group will discuss the types of risks businesses need to be aware of and go over best practices to be safer in what is now considered to be a high-risk environment for small, medium and large businesses.

“Cybersecurity threats are a serious problem, and this seminar is going to provide so much value to our businesses. Our goal is to provide businesses the insights and tools they need to reduce their risk through what they learn at this seminar,” said Anthony Sims, Director of Economic Development for the City of Turlock.

According to SCORE business mentoring, 43% of all cyberattacks target small businesses. Additionally, CNBC reported that 42% of businesses had no plan for responding to an attack. On average, cyberattacks cost small businesses around $200,000 on average, according to CNBC, putting many victims at risk of going out of business entirely.

“Small businesses experience higher risk to cybersecurity vulnerabilities often due to fewer resources,” said Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak. “I am thrilled to have this expert panel help our businesses improve their security measures with actionable information, and the ability to ask questions.

The free seminar will take place on from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The Carnegie Arts Center is located at 250 N. Broadway. Individuals and businesses can register to attend online at https://nct.apex.com/turlock