OCRI

Quarterly Newsletter

January 2026 Newsletter

Welcome to the inaugural OCRI quarterly newsletter. The goal is to share news and resources, highlight accomplishments and further build the OCRI ecosystem as we collectively advance cybersecurity education, workforce development and economic development across Ohio. I invite you to read and learn about our programs and opportunities and join us in the effort to advance Ohio's cybersecurity readiness.

Ohio’s Cybersecurity Law Spurs Surge in O-PCI Training: 21,500+ Public Employees Receive Training

In the wake of Ohio’s new cybersecurity mandate under House Bill 96—which requires every political subdivision to adopt a cybersecurity program and encourages annual training— O-PCI has become a go-to resource for local government leaders across the state. Since August, O-PCI has doubled its users in the Learning Management System, now serving 21,500+ public employees across Ohio. In just four months, 365 registrations from Local Government Entities (LGEs) have poured in, and the program has launched 41 new training cohorts, reaching 64 LGEs statewide. With more than 21,500 public employees trusting O-PCI for cybersecurity training, the initiative is not only scaling rapidly but also engaging directly with local governments—averaging 10-15 meetings per week to strengthen cyber resilience. For LGEs considering HB 96 requirements, O-PCI offers a proven, free solution to provide training and support for building the components of a cybersecurity program.

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Administrators from the City of Akron gave an overview of the FREE O-PCI training that set their employees on a path for improved cybersecurity protection. The administrators presented their experience in a breakout session at the 7th Annual OCRI Symposium on October 1, 2025.

Ohio Cyber Range Completes Phase II Upgrade, Delivering Improved Network Performance

The Ohio Cyber Range (OCR) redesign and upgrade, underway since fall 2023, is now complete, marking a notable step forward in cybersecurity training and support for the state.

"The two-year OCR upgrade represented a highly intricate engineering effort and marks a significant operational milestone,” said Kevin Mamula, associate director of the Ohio Cyber Range and Cyber Exercise. “We now have a dedicated, high-capacity interconnect between the Ohio Cyber Range and the OARnet backbone, enabling unprecedented throughput and network efficiency. Combined with an upgraded cutting-edge hyperconverged data center, the range now delivers best-in-class performance, reinforcing our position as the premier platform for supporting Ohio’s cybersecurity initiatives across all mission domains,” Mamula added.

To get started using the Ohio Cyber Range, visit the OCRI website and fill out the request form. 

A Network of Cybersecurity Educators

The OCRI is a network of 769 educators and supporters and still growing! The network is connected through a cyber library, shared course materials, shared resources, and the shared Ohio Cyber Range. This network shares ideas on how to bring cybersecurity education to K-12, Career Tech, Higher Ed, and Adult Ed through formal classes, bootcamps, exercises, camps, and seminars. This collaborative approach started by the Ohio Cyber Collaboration Committee (OC3) includes multiple lines of efforts all coordinated and integrated seamlessly. To join the OCRI network of educators, please fill out the request form on the OCRI website.

SOCHE and GCC Merge to Form Ohio’s Largest Higher Ed Consortium

As of July 1, 2025, theStrategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) and Greater Cincinnati Collegiate Connection (GCC) have merged, creating a powerful consortium of 38 colleges and universities. This strategic partnership expands capabilities to drive innovation in higher education and workforce development, benefiting students, faculty, and employers across Ohio.

BGSU Students Launch Nonprofit to Shield Small Businesses from Cyber Threats

A group of Bowling Green State University students recently created a nonprofit organization called The Secure Signals Project to help protect small businesses against cybersecurity attacks, leveraging their education to create public good.

UC Regional Programming Center (RPC) Facilitates International Collaboration on European Cyber Law Curriculum

Albert Klein, Jr., PhD, JD, assistant professor- School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) at the University of Cincinnati and faculty affiliate at the Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy (CCSP), is developing new instructional modules that focus on European cyber law in partnership with Goran Sandić, faculty of political science, University of Belgrade. This collaboration was brought to life through CCSP's Department of State grant supported by the U.S. Embassy in Serbia. The completed curriculum will be uploaded to the OCRI cyber library and utilized by University of Belgrade faculty for Serbian students.

Albert Klein, Jr.

Goran Sandić

Save the Date! OCRI to Host Second Statewide Capture The Flag

OCRI will host its second annual statewide Capture The Flag (CTF) event 11AM - 4PM on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Gather a team of three to five students to participate in the newly named Capture Ohio '26: OCRI Statewide CTF. More details and registration information will be forthcoming.

OU Defeats Miami in Third Annual CyberMania Cybersecurity Challenge

In the 2025 CyberMania Competition, Ohio University (OU) defeated Miami University. The third annual cyber competition is a friendly rivalry between the two universities to promote cybersecurity awareness, with the winner determined by which school has the most participants complete a cybersecurity quiz.

Tiffin University Cyber Dragons Rank in Top 5% Nationally at National Cyber League Spring 2025

Tiffin University's student hacking team, the Tiffin Cyber Dragons, has placed in the top 5% nationally in the National Cyber League (NCL) Spring 2025 Team Game, competing against over 4,700 teams from colleges and universities across the country.

The O-PCI compiled a list of cyber resources to share with fellow Ohioans. This comprehensive guide to federal and state cybersecurity resources for Ohioans, provides detailed information on entities offering support, guidance, and services to anticipate and respond to cyber threats. The guide includes state, federal, non-profit and paid resources and covers such topics as education and training, incident reporting and response, grants and financial assistance, collaboration and best practices, cybersecurity tools and resources, research and development and regulation and compliance.

Get the guide >

University of Dayton's (UD) Cybersecurity Video Library: offers videos on a wide variety of cybersecurity topics: Short-form public service announcement-style messages on a wide range of cybersecurity awareness topics such as phishing, choosing good passwords, protecting personal information, backing up personal machines, etc. These videos are shorter and make cybersecurity topics approachable for non-technical audiences. Long-form instructional videos on topics such as Social Engineering, the Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain. These run up to twenty minutes and are more in-depth and instructional in nature.

View UD Video Library >

The Ohio State University Cybersecurity Canon: A Must-Read Guide for Every Cyber Professional. The OSU Cybersecurity Canon is a curated catalog of essential reading for anyone serious about cybersecurity—whether you’re in industry, government, or academia. This collection highlights must-read books that cover the foundational principles, emerging threats, and strategic insights shaping the cyber landscape. Designed to guide practitioners at all levels, the Canon serves as both a learning tool and a professional resource, helping readers stay informed and prepared in an ever-evolving digital world.

Visit OSU Cyber Canon >

BGSU Hosts: CyberEd Connect Workshop, February 13, 2026, 8:30AM-4:30PM at Bowen-Thompson student union. Workshop features OCRI Co-Director Richard Harknett, PhD, and other cyber trends and resources. Register here.

The AI Freedom Alliance 2026 Summit will be 8AM-4PM on February 25 at the Bob Crane Community Center, Upper Arlington, Ohio. The AI Freedom Alliance promotes the responsible growth and common-sense ethics of AI. Al Klein Jr., PhD, LLM, MS, JD, Professor at the University of Cincinnati and former U.S. Air Force, will host the Legal and Policy panel - "The Regulatory Framework for AI.

CSU Hosts 11th Annual Cybersecurity & Privacy Conference April 16–17: Cleveland State University's Center for Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection will hold its Eleventh Annual Cybersecurity & Privacy Protection Conference on April 16–17, 2026. The Center takes an interdisciplinary approach to cyber-risk and privacy issues, offering programs like an online Master of Legal Studies and a law-school-based cybersecurity certificate. This conference is one of the Great Lakes Region’s leading events for education and networking in cybersecurity.

Save the date for the Ohio Cyber Guardian (OCG).Now in its fifth year, OCG is the signature cyber exercise event of the OCRI and the Ohio Cyber Reserve. The premier exercise will be July 10 – 14, with Distinguished Visitor's Day on July 13.

Save the date for the eighth annual OCRI Symposium on October 7, 2026. Join us for an inspiring day of collaboration, innovation, and research insights in the field of cybersecurity.

Save the date for the 25th Annual Information Assurance Forum (IA Forum) at the University of Findlay on Oct. 28.

To learn more about our events, visit the OCRI website events page.