Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation forming the Ohio Cyber Reserve Oct. 25, 2019, during a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. The Ohio Cyber Reserve will be a civilian volunteer cyber force under the direction and supervision of the Ohio Adjutant General’s Department, and will assist eligible small governments affected by cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity Initiatives

As part of its homeland defense mission, the Adjutant General’s Department of Ohio is leading a number of efforts in Ohio to protect state and local government, critical infrastructure, businesses and private citizens from cyber threats and attacks.

Ohio Cyber Reserve (OhCR)

The Ohio Cyber Reserve is a volunteer force under the command of the adjutant general. OhCR teams of trained civilians will be available for the governor to assist eligible municipalities with cybersecurity vulnerabilities and provide recommendations to reduce cyber threats. OhCR volunteers will also provide workforce development to train the cyber talent of the future and assist STEM teachers by providing mentors for high school cyber clubs.

Ohio Cyber Range (OCR)

The Ohio Cyber Range is a secure virtual environment used for cybersecurity training and technology development. OCR is accessible for competitions, training, and as a testing environment for schools, governments and businesses. Range sites are located at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Akron.

Ohio Cyber Range
Ohio Cyber Range Institute

Ohio Cyber Collaboration Committee (OC3)

At the direction of the governor, the Adjutant General’s Department has brought together more than 200 representatives from public, private, military and educational organizations to form the OC3.

The OC3 mission is to provide an environment for collaboration between the key stakeholders to strengthen cybersecurity for all in the State of Ohio and to develop a stronger cybersecurity infrastructure.

OC3 website

Ohio National Guard Cyber Force

Ohio National Guard’s cyber force supports and defends state agencies and critical infrastructure in Ohio. These Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen leverage their military-specific training with cyber expertise they bring from their civilian jobs to assist in emergency cyber response.