PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
CYBERSECURITY … IT Manager Jeremy Suffel teaches local village officials and fiscal officers about the new Ohio House Bill 96 security requirements.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County IT Department hosted a local government compliance briefing on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the East Annex.
This was to assist villages and townships in understanding new cybersecurity requirements under Ohio House Bill 96.
The meeting was held in response to growing concerns from local officials who must meet compliance standards but have received limited guidance on how to do so.
While Williams County has already met its compliance deadline, other local entities are still working toward their required deadline of July 1, 2026.
Jeremy Suffel, IT Manager for Williams County, led the presentation, outlining key expectations under the new bill. He was joined by Systems Administrator Michael Herman.
Topics discussed included document classification, mandatory incident reporting, and the development of incident response plans.
County officials indicated that they will continue to serve as a resource for municipalities and townships as they work toward meeting the state’s cybersecurity requirements.