A new cyber security consortium got off the ground Wednesday. The fifteen member founding group which includes the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Foundation hopes to work together to provide real-time support during a cyber attack. The new Northeast Ohio Cyber Security Consortium is inviting local businesses and organizations to join so they can pool their resources to help solve cyber problems together.
Cleveland Foundation CEO Ron Richard pointed to the data breach of Anthem health insurance earlier this year that affected as many as 80 million of their customers. He said cyber criminals should be punished the same way a bank robber might be.. maybe worse.
"We should have a super max for the worst cyber criminals. So that people know if you commit these kind of crimes that affect the economy so greatly, you’re gonna go to a place with no television sets and no exercise yards. It’s going to be no fun whatsoever."
Richard said if the community can come together through this partnership, Cleveland’s universities can become leading computer science schools. The Case Western program was once ranked number one in the nation. Today, it's in the thirties.
He'd like to see Case back at number one and that means Northeast Ohio won’t miss out on another wave in the high tech revolution.
