Cybersecurity Strategies Explored in First Small Business Solutions Hub of 2026

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce kicked off its 2026 Small Business Solutions Hub series on Friday, January 23, with a timely deep dive into cybersecurity and fraud prevention, pairing practical IT guidance with banking best practices for protecting business finances.

Hosted at the Springfield Chamber Depot (light lunch provided) and streamed online, the hybrid program reflected the Chamber’s ongoing business retention and expansion efforts, connecting local employers with tools and resources that help protect, grow, and sustain their operations.

Not “just an IT issue”
Paige Walters, the Springfield Chamber’s senior director of advocacy and economic development, opened the program by emphasizing that cybersecurity is not simply an “IT issue,” but a core business concern that impacts operations, customer trust, and reputation. From there, the program featured two perspectives:

Nicole Nelson, Southern Oregon Region President, WaFd Bank, shared common fraud tactics targeting businesses and outlined practical steps to secure accounts and reduce financial risk.

Marques Salazar, Senior IT Systems Engineer, IEQ Technology, focused on everyday cybersecurity fundamentals, explaining why small businesses are frequently targeted and what steps can meaningfully reduce risk without requiring an in-house security team.

Key themes from the discussion
Both presenters returned to a central message: the goal is risk reduction, not perfection, and small changes can substantially strengthen a business’s security posture.

“Your bank’s fraud department or IT department will never, ever, ever, ever call you.”

– Nicole Nelson, Southern Oregon Region President, WaFd Bank

Takeaways: Banking and finance protections (WaFd Bank)

• Set up account alerts for unusual activity, user changes, thresholds and login attempts.
• Use dual control/dual administration for wires and online banking changes, requiring two people for approvals.
• Be cautious with check fraud, and ask your banker about tools such as positive pay or lower-cost validation options.
• Treat bank impersonation calls as a red flag, and call back using a known, trusted number.
• Consider isolating risk by using a separate account for payment tools and transfers when appropriate.

“As a small business owner, you don’t need to become a cybersecurity professional, but you need to understand the fundamentals.”

– Marques Salazar, Senior IT Systems Engineer, IEQ Technology

Takeaways: Cybersecurity fundamentals (IEQ Technology):

• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) everywhere possible, especially for email, banking and payroll.
• Use unique passwords and a password manager, paired with a strong master password.
• Keep systems updated, including software, apps and firmware, and assign internal ownership for patching.
• Protect against ransomware with robust backups, including the 3-2-1 strategy (multiple copies, different media, and at least one off-site) and regular restore testing.
• Reduce exposure by limiting vendor permissions and applying the least-privilege approach for employee access.

A recurring takeaway from both speakers was to slow down when requests involve money or sensitive access. The program highlighted how attackers often rely on urgency, impersonation and familiar-looking emails or phone numbers to prompt quick action, and why verification by phone or other trusted methods can prevent costly mistakes.

Thanks to our sponsors
The Chamber noted that the Small Business Solutions Hub is offered free to members and the local small business community thanks to the support of its investor partners and sponsors. Those partners include: Chambers Construction, Eugene Area Radio Stations (EARS), Hershner Hunter LLP, Insights Research Lab, OCCU, Springfield Utility Board, and WaFd Bank.

A special thank-you to IEQ Technology, the title sponsor lunch provider for this program.

The full recording, “Small Business Solutions Hub – Improve Your Cybersecurity,” is available below and will also be housed in the Chamber’s Small Business Solutions Hub library.