CNWR’s Jason Slagle lands on Ohio’s first Cyber25 list

OhioX and Ohio Tech News named CNWR President Jason Slagle to Cyber25, a new statewide list recognizing 25 cybersecurity leaders. The honor spotlights Slagle’s work helping small and midsize organizations in Northwest Ohio and beyond defend against fast-moving threats.

Why it matters: - The Cyber25 list puts a spotlight on cybersecurity work that often happens outside large enterprises, where small and midsize businesses have fewer internal resources. - Slagle’s recognition reflects rising demand for practical security help for manufacturers, service firms and other organizations that keep local economies running. - OhioX and Ohio Tech News said the inaugural list honors 25 people who protect Ohio’s businesses, public services and critical infrastructure.

What happened: - Jason Slagle, president of Toledo-based CNWR, was named to Cyber25, the first annual list from OhioX and Ohio Tech News. - The list was announced on Oct. 2, at the start of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. - Slagle was recognized for helping small businesses across Northwest Ohio, Southeast Michigan and beyond protect themselves, often without a full-time IT department. - Ohio Tech News described Slagle as “a prominent advocate for practical cybersecurity among small and midsize organizations.” - Honorees were chosen from nominations submitted across Ohio. - Slagle is one of two Toledo honorees, alongside Bill McCreary, Ph.D., vice president, chief information officer and chief technology officer at the University of Toledo.

The details: - Slagle’s background includes work as a systems and network administrator before moving deeper into cybersecurity. - Packt Publishing released his book, Learning Puppet Security, in 2015. - Slagle holds Red Hat and VMware engineering certifications. - His security focus includes reverse engineering, which involves breaking software apart to understand behavior and weaknesses. - Slagle also teaches a cybersecurity class at the University of Toledo. - He has led sessions at CodeMash in Sandusky, Ohio, and Wild West Hackin’ Fest in Deadwood, South Dakota. - One workshop teaches software reverse engineering over half a day. - Another, titled “Stuck as a Skill,” uses a Jeopardy-style capture-the-flag format. - His talk “People Are the Prompt Injection” examines AI risk through user behavior. - He has also joined a panel for technical people moving into leadership for the first time. - In March 2025, the Global Technology Industry Association named Slagle its North America Cybersecurity Leadership Award winner. - CRN has quoted Slagle on CNWR’s response to the Follina zero-day vulnerability affecting Microsoft Office in 2022.

Between the lines: - The recognition fits Slagle’s public style: plain-spoken, hands-on and aimed at organizations that do not usually have deep security teams. - Cyber25 also rewards leaders who build the next generation of defenders, and Slagle’s teaching and workshop work shows that focus. - Slagle’s comments suggest his priority is strengthening Ohio’s broader tech community, not collecting awards. - His warning that attackers are “lowering their sights” points to a market where smaller businesses are increasingly in the crosshairs. - CNWR’s client base, which includes manufacturers, tool-and-die shops, veterinary practices, labor unions and churches, matches the segment Slagle says is most exposed. - CNWR’s core value is “Do What’s Right,” paired with a “firefighter mentality” and a “be the rising tide” approach. - Slagle is helping organize a new nonprofit to unite Toledo’s tech groups under one umbrella and keep local talent in the region. - He is also involved with CyberRISE, a nonprofit focused on cybersecurity education and helping managed service providers during active incidents.

What’s next: - Slagle will continue leading CNWR’s cybersecurity and managed IT work for small and midsize organizations. - His teaching, workshop and community roles point to more public-facing cybersecurity education in Ohio and beyond. - Business owners can contact CNWR at talk to a specialist or by calling (419) 724-2697. - CNWR says its services include fully managed IT, co-managed support, consulting, cybersecurity, 24/7 monitoring, disaster recovery, cloud and Microsoft 365 support, business phone systems and remote work solutions.

The bottom line: - Cyber25 elevates a Toledo cybersecurity leader whose work is rooted in practical help for smaller organizations that need protection but often lack in-house expertise.