Cybersecurity

Trainings & Conferences Schedule

Cyberthieves are targeting Ohio's local governments and tax dollars with growing sophistication. The Auditor of State's Office wants to help public employees fortify their governments to shield themselves from digital threats and fend off cyberattacks.

If you have any questions send an email to the AOS Training Department

Course Title: PIAT Cybersecurity Training
Course Description: This class presents an overview of cyber threats, such as phishing, ransomware, and hacked “smart” devices, and suggests practical ways to prevent or prepare for an attack. We show you a video of the Top 5 hackers in 2015 and provide a list of important contacts and resources.

This webinar was created in 2017 by the Ohio Auditor of State’s Public Integrity Assurance Team, now known as the Special Investigations Unit.

Presented by: Nicole Beckwith
Event Date: December 21, 2017
Hours: 1.75
Run Time: 1:38:46

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Important: To receive credit for these trainings, you must self-report your hours via the Training Portal, within 90 days of taking the training. Before you start any trainings that are not provided by AOS, contact the training department (providing as many details as you can about the training) to see how many hours would be approved.

Fighting Cybercrime

In 2016, the Auditor's office urged fiscal personnel at local governments across Ohio to be on high alert for cybercrimes targeting tax dollars. The warning was prompted by an increase in reported attacks at several governments, including school districts, counties, and townships.

Many of the attacks were carried out using a practice known as "phishing" – sending email containing a link or an attachment that, when opened, infects computers or entices the recipient to share account information and passwords. Some of the attachments launch viruses that essentially take data hostage until a ransom is paid.

In early 2017, the Auditor's office launched training sessions in eight communities throughout Ohio, geared toward helping government officials prevent and deal with cyber attacks. The response from attendees of these trainings was overwhelmingly positive and there were requests from attendees to offer the training as an on-demand video allowing more people to be trained.