Ohio Cyber Guardian trains cyber professionals at UC’s Digital Futures

The Ohio Cyber Range Institute at the University of Cincinnati hosted a four-day cybersecurity defense exercise known as Ohio Cyber Guardian 2026 to prepare state officials and industry professionals to respond to attacks.

OCRI along with the Ohio National Guard, regional programming center, industry professionals and volunteers from state agencies and organizations participated in simulated cyber attacks and defense exercises. The event provided a chance to evaluate the effectiveness, agility and adherence to standard operating procedures for cyber defense.

Journalists from Fox 19 and Spectrum News saw teams practice defending critical infrastructure during Distinguished Visitors’ Day on Monday, July 13.

The exercise matters because cybercrime continues to rise nationwide. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, Americans reported more than $20 billion in cybercrime losses last year.

“IT systems are under constant attacks from different adversaries and this is really critical because we want professionals who are protecting our systems to practice before they actually face a real life situation,” explains Hazem Said, professor and director of the School of Information Technology at UC.

Said spoke with Fox 19 during the Ohio Cyber Guardian event.

“As you know everything now is digital and it is very important for us as state partners and institutions to make sure we are prepared and that we are capable,” Said adds.

Rebekah Michael, executive staff director of the Ohio Cyber Range Institute, told Spectrum News that cyber threats extend beyond computers and can affect the services Ohioans depend on every day.

“Every Ohioan is vulnerable, but also businesses and our critical infrastructure like our electric grids and our wastewater treatment plants,” Michael adds.

Event organizers say one of the exercise’s greatest strengths is the collaboration between military personnel, government agencies, private industry and cybersecurity professionals.

“There will be no future war without cyber, and there will be no winning of wars without cyber readiness and superiority,” said Brig. Gen. Clarence K. Maynus, Ohio’s assistant adjutant general, during a morning address at Ohio Cyber Guardian 2026.

Listen to coverage of the Ohio Cyber Guardian 2026 on Fox 19 and Spectrum News. 

Featured top image of Dean Lisa Huffman of the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services and Information Technology at the Ohio Cyber Guardian 2026 event. Photo provided.