Ohio cybersecurity officials develop programs for students, small businesses – Richland Source

Richland Source
North Central Ohio's Independent Local News
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is one of two about a recent cybersecurity fireside chat held at the Ohio State University’s Mansfield campus. To read the other story, which focuses on practical tips for individuals, click here.
MANSFIELD — In a world where nearly everything is digitized, Kirk Herath will tell you cybersecurity threats are inevitable.
“We’ll never get rid of it entirely, it’s like death,” said Herath, the chairman of the state government’s cybersecurity advisory board, CyberOhio.
“But we can certainly push it off in the future by some common practices, being healthy and taking care of yourself.”
Many industry experts say the United State is facing a critical shortage of experienced cybersecurity professionals.
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Here’s how state agencies are addressing this shortage and supporting small businesses and local governments in the meantime.
Herath and Mark Bell, cybersecurity outreach coordinator for the Ohio Adjutant General, said developing training programs that offer real-world experience is key.
One way officials have done so is by launching the Ohio Digital Academy. The IT workforce pipeline program trains and employs entry-level employees over a three-year period.
“It started out cyber intensive, because that’s where we had a need,” Herath said. “We also have data scientists; we have programmers; we have cloud administrators. It’s become sort of a technology-centric entry point for the state of Ohio,” Hearth said.
“At the end of that, roughly 75 percent of them are going to have to leave for the private sector. So it’s a public sector to private sector pipeline for talent.”
The Ohio Cyber Range Institute also works to promote cybersecurity education and workforce development.
At the K-12 level, OCRI provides virtual lab environments for students and teachers, giving access to cybersecurity education programs, modules and lessons.
The range also supports college coursework and research and builds programs for adult learners to earn certifications.
“Not every cyber security professional needs to have a four-year degree,” Bell said. “There are programs based on career tech.
“There’s programs based on a two-year degree, programs based on four-year degree.”
Another tactic for building Ohio’s cybersecurity infrastructure was the creation of the Ohio Cyber Reserve, a volunteer civilian defense force, in 2019.
“The idea of the cyber reserve is to take people who are already existing cyber professionals from around the state, give them background checks, skills tests, put them into teams, train them, and then have them ready to do stuff to help keep the state safe,” Bell explained.
These teams are available to assist eligible municipalities with cybersecurity vulnerabilities and provide recommendations to reduce cyber threats at the request of Ohio’s governor, according to Ohio Adjutant General’s Department.
Volunteers also provide workforce development to train the cyber talent of the future and assist STEM teachers by providing mentors for high school cyber clubs.
Herath said local governments don’t always have the funds to rigorously address cybersecurity, but the state is working to address that challenge.
In addition to providing support through the Ohio Cyber Reserve, local government entities can also access free cybersecurity training through the Ohio Cyber Range Institute.
Meanwhile, small businesses in the manufacturing sector can access cybersecurity training through Ohio State University’s Ohio Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Pilot.
Herath and Bell also recommended additional educational resources on cybersecurity, including the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Herath and Ball’s fireside chat was part of Cybersecurity: Thinking Globally, Working Locally. This free speaker series is designed to broaden the region’s awareness of cybersecurity challenges and development strategies.
The series is free to attend and hosted by the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development and The Ohio State University at Mansfield. For more information on upcoming sessions, click here and here.
Staff reporter at Richland Source since 2019. I focus on education, housing and features. Clear Fork alumna. Always looking for a chance to practice my Spanish. Got a tip? Email me at katie@richlandsource.com. More by Katie Ellington Serrao
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