OCRI uses game to prepare for cybersecurity incidents

The OCRI is a statewide, collaborative network that supports cybersecurity programs across Ohio. The institute’s goal is to advance an integrated approach to cybersecurity education, workforce and economic development in cyber-related fields throughout the state.

Staff members from the OCRI gathered at UC Digital Futures to participate in the Cyber Ready Community Game that was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In the game, staff members acted as officials for emergency management, a private sector business, local government, a community hospital, a community bank and a local utility provider. They had to allocate limited resources to prepare for a cybersecurity incident then respond based on scenarios throughout the game.

Prosper Tornyi, a UC student who is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration in the cyber policy track, led the cybersecurity exercise.

“The goal for them is to get firsthand skills on the cyber readiness,” said Tornyi, an intern with the OCRI.

The OCRI provides training to help organizations throughout Ohio prepare for and respond to cybersecurity incidents. The exercise helped the OCRI staff consider how the organizations they collaborate with allocate their resources and how they would react to an attack.

“With cyber incidents, it's not if it's going to happen, it's when,” said Rebekah Michael, the OCRI executive staff director and an associate professor educator in UC’s School of Information Technology. “Like any other emergency preparation, you have to exercise something. So, like a fire drill, you want to make sure that everyone understands what to do. And so, the best way to do that is to have the alarms and then have everyone practice as if there's a fire.”

See more from WLWT.