COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina) announced passage of legislation to create the Ohio Cyber Reserve — a new division of the Ohio National Guard that specializes in cyber security.
“Cyberattacks are a growing threat,” said Obhof, who co-sponsored the bill, in a report in the Ashland Source. “This legislation will help our state better prepare against these sophisticated attacks,”
Obhof's district includes Richland and Ashland counties.
The new force will consist of qualified, civilian cyber security experts and will maintain regional Cyber Response Teams capable of deterring, mitigating, and remedying cyber-attacks against our local governments, businesses, critical infrastructure and citizens, the Ashland Source said.
Senate Bill 52 was initially suggested by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, in order to address concerns related to elections and protecting the integrity of election-related data, the newspaper noted.
Ensuring Accurate Results
“The legislation also includes provisions to improve Ohio’s elections and give voters even more confidence that election results are accurate,” the Ashland Source said.
The legislation will require post-election audits to be conducted in all years, not just even-numbered election years. A chief information security officer will also be appointed to advise the Secretary of State on matters of information security.
“Our elections are the bedrock upon which our republic relies, and this bill is going to go a long way to improve the safeguards that protect them,” LaRose said.
Senate Bill 52 now moves to the Ohio House of Representatives for consideration.