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Warren County expands regional dispatch links and cybersecurity; creates dedicated cyber unit
Summary
Deputy telecommunications director Gary Estes briefed commissioners on regional CAD2CAD integration, EPA-accredited cybersecurity training for water/wastewater operators, broader use of the HIPLINK crisis communications system and a new county cyber unit including the first chief information security officer.
Gary Estes, deputy director for telecommunications, told the Board of Commissioners that Warren County has advanced several regional and internal communications initiatives, including a CAD2CAD connection that shares dispatch assets across nearby jurisdictions, an EPA-accredited cybersecurity training program for wastewater and water operators, and expanded use of a county crisis communications product called HIPLINK.
Estes said CAD2CAD lets dispatch centers transfer and share asset information without repeated phone calls and that the county partnered with Cincinnati, Hamilton County and Butler County on the initiative. He described a training program for wastewater operators developed with the Go Cyber Collective, Sinclair and Idaho National Laboratory that the EPA accepted for credentials; the county received Ohio Tech Credit reimbursement for the classes.
On cybersecurity staffing, Estes said the commissioners previously approved creation of a cyber unit; the county now has three cyber staff and has hired its first chief information security officer, William Cornett. Estes said Warren County sees cyber probing daily and that staff have intercepted and stopped events before they caused major disruption, but he warned the county remains vulnerable and that continued investment is required.
The county's HIPLINK product, Estes said, is used for crisis messaging across dispatch, police, fire, the sheriff's office and county departments; supervisors can track staff locations when needed and the county uses the system for weather messaging and other alerts. Estes also noted the county offers mutual-aid assistance to other jurisdictions that experience cyber incidents; Warren County staff can support short-term recovery and coaching for affected peers.
Commissioners praised the work and noted the county has increased cyber staffing and training; Estes said the county will continue standardizing cybersecurity protections across departments, including water and wastewater systems, and will report additional progress over the next year.
