Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has appointed Candice Hoke and Brian Ray, professors in Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, to the Advisory Board of CyberOhio. The recently announced statewide initiative will “foster a legal, technical, and collaborative cybersecurity environment to help Ohio businesses thrive.” Cleveland-Marshall is the only Ohio law school represented on the CyberOhio Board, which includes leaders from business, non-profits and government.

“The demonstrated leadership of Professors Hoke and Ray in Cleveland-Marshall’s Center for Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection is having a critical impact on the ever-developing body of knowledge and strategy surrounding cyber-risk issues,” said Cleveland-Marshall Interim Dean Lee Fisher. “We are proud of their selection to the Attorney General’s Advisory Board.”

Hoke has over a decade of experience in cybersecurity issues and cyber-risk management issues. She has advised the Department of Homeland Security, testified before Congress, federal agencies, and the Ohio General Assembly, and provided background counsel to many public officials on proposed legislative and regulatory initiatives. 

Ray has extensive experience in eDiscovery, information governance and data privacy. Along with Hoke, he is co-editor of the SSRN Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and eDiscovery eJournal. He is a member of the Sedona Conference's Data Security and Privacy Liability Working Group and co-founded the e-Discovery Roundtable, an informal group of lawyers, judges and academics that meets monthly to discuss issues surrounding electronic discovery, cybersecurity and data privacy issues. 

Hoke and Ray established and now co-direct Cleveland-Marshall’s Center for Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection. The interdisciplinary center integrates technical, legal, and business perspectives and promotes creative approaches to security and privacy. The Center is helping to position CSU and Northeast Ohio as leaders in strategies for achieving cybersecurity and data privacy. With cutting edge applied research and a structured set of educational offerings, including several new degree and non-degree certificates that are in development, the Center is preparing students in law and other disciplines to work in these growing fields.

The CyberOhio Advisory Board will provide guidance on the CyberOhio Initiatives outlined by Dewine: developing legislative responses for business and consumers, expanding the Attorney General’s Identity Theft Unit, cybersecurity training, and fostering collaboration between higher education and business to build a workforce pipeline in the field.

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