Columbus, Ohio – Cybersecurity for State Leaders, a nationwide awareness initiative led by the Nation Cybersecurity Center (NCC) and supported by Google, will host a virtual training
Ohio on Wednesday, May 26th at 9:00 am Eastern Time. The initiative aims to bring best practices in cybersecurity to state lawmakers and their staff in all 50 states — with both live virtual events and on demand access available online at any time.
SIGN UP FOR THE OHIO CYBERSECURITY FOR STATE LEADERS WORKSHOP HERE.
This nonpartisan training curriculum will prepare lawmakers and statehouse staff to be vigilant against cyber threats by offering a deep dive into: the ecosystem of cybersecurity, common types of cyber attacks, how and why cyber attacks work, and best practices on how to protect individuals against cyber threats.
The bipartisan event will feature a message from Lieutenant Governor Husted and State CISO Anupam Srivastava, and a live panel discussion featuring Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R-OH), Representative Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Twp.), and Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron). The discussion will be moderated by Ohio Chief Information Officer Ervan Rodgers. The live briefing will also feature remarks by Ohio-native Kevin Benacci, Vice President for Cybersecurity Practice at Targeted Victory and former Chief External Affairs Officers at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
When Cybersecurity for State Leaders launched in March, Secretary of State LaRose signed onto the Cyber Charter and has since served as an ambassador for the program.
“Americans must have confidence in their elections. That can’t happen if we aren’t vigilant in our defense of the digital systems that make up our election infrastructure,” said LaRose. “Here in Ohio, we’ve set a new national standard for cybersecurity. With the signing of the National Cybersecurity Center cyber charter, we’re re-dedicating ourselves to expanding and evolving the best practices that have made our state a leader,” said Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R).
“It’s pretty simple: if you have a cellphone, computer, tablet or any smart device, cybersecurity should be important to you,” former head of External Affairs for CISA Kevin Benacci said. “We are all targets for hackers on the hunt to steal data, scam identities, or hold companies hostage with a ransomware attack. That’s why it’s critical we all have personal accountability, which starts with doing the basics so you don’t get DUPED,” Benacci added.
In addition to the live state program, Cybersecurity for State Leaders will also offer on-demand workshops online featuring national cybersecurity leaders in both the public and private sector, including famed cybersecurity executive and Investor on ABC’s Shark Tank and founder and CEO of the Herjavec Group, Robert Herjavec, former State Department Spokesperson and Undersecretary of State for Public Affairs Heather Nauert, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA), Former Chief Information Security Officer for the Information Security Division of the U.S. Small Business Administration James Saunders, Meredith Griffanti of FTI Consulting, representatives from Google, IBM, Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program, and more.
Register for the ON DEMAND Cybersecurity for State Leaders Training here: https://cyberforgovleaders.org/register-for-training/.
Cybersecurity is more important than ever as evidenced by governments more frequently falling victim to cyberattacks. This initiative takes training directly to the frontlines of our democracy and ensures state lawmakers are well versed on the threat environment as well as how to mitigate and protect against potential attacks.
For more information on Cybersecurity for State Leaders, visit https://cyberforgovleaders.org/.
###
The National Cybersecurity Center (NCC) is a non-profit organization established for cyber innovation and awareness. Established in 2016 from the vision of United States Senator from Colorado John Hickenlooper, in coordination with several people from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) and the community, the NCC serves both public and private organizations and individuals through training, education and research. Discover NCC at https://cyber-center.org/.