Bloomberg: States aim to emulate Ohio’s approach to cybersecurity
Ohio Cyber Reserve holds training exercise at UC
States throughout the nation are looking to emulate the Ohio Cyber Reserve, a civilian group tasked with combating cyberattacks that in July participated in a training exercise at the University of Cincinnati, Bloomberg reported.
During the training exercise at the 1819 Innovation Hub, 19 members of the Ohio Cyber Reserve “hunted for digital breadcrumbs left by a fictional disgruntled employee who defaced state websites, tracked down theoretical thieves who mined a municipal online data trove, and battled malware that a foreign country had secreted onto county computer networks.”
Richard Harknett, a professor of political science and co-director of the Ohio Cyber Range Institute at UC, said the training event was wildly successful.
States including California, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Maryland are creating civilian cyber volunteer response teams like Ohio. Virginia, Indiana Colorado, Montana, Washington and West Virginia also have expressed interest in establishing teams.
“The phone’s been ringing off the hook,” said Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general. “There’s a lot of interest in standing up this kind of cyber reserve.”
Featured image at top: Members of the Ohio Cyber Reserve, a volunteer force under the command of the state’s adjutant general, take part in a training exercise at the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub. Photos by Joseph Fuqua
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC students organize free health clinic in community
July 13, 2026
The University of Cincinnati student chapter of Remote Area Medical held its annual free health clinic July 11-12 at St. Xavier High School. Medical, dental and vision care was offered to adults and children, with no income requirements or insurance needed.
UC 1819-backed startup Go-Rolla has a smarter way to clean up
July 10, 2026
Cincinnati-based startup Go-Rolla presented its in-car paper towel holder at the prestigious Concours d’Elegance, impressing attendees with its inventiveness and functionality.
Ohio ranked No. 1 for business by CNBC
July 10, 2026
Ohio is CNBC’s No. 1 Top State for Business in 2026. The University of Cincinnati helps fuel that success through co-op, innovation, talent development and close collaboration with the state.