Purpose
The Texas Cybersecurity Council was created by the Department of Information Resources to develop enduring partnerships between private industry and public sector organizations to ensure that critical infrastructure and sensitive information are protected, to develop an exemplary cybersecurity workforce to protect technology resources from increasing threats, and develop strategies and solutions that ensure that Texas continues to lead in areas of cybersecurity at a national level.
Objectives
The objectives of the Texas Cybersecurity Council include:
Establishing a council that includes a diverse makeup of public and private sector leaders and cybersecurity practitioners to collaborate on matters of cybersecurity concerning the State of Texas.
Develop strategies and solutions to increase the number and quality of cybersecurity practitioners in Texas.
Promote collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship in cybersecurity to further develop the cybersecurity industry in Texas.
Evaluate program requirements that establish exemplary cybersecurity practices and consider adoption within private and public entities.
Provide a consistent voice for industry regarding cybersecurity policies at a local, state, and federal level.
Promote awareness and education of cybersecurity throughout the state.
Authority
Texas Senate Bill 1102 from the 83rd Legislative Regular Session modified Government Code Chapter 2054, Subchapter O. State Cybersecurity with the additions of section 2054.511 authorizing the Executive Director of DIR to designate a Cybersecurity Coordinator, and provided the Cybersecurity Coordinator the authority to establish a private industry-government council under sections 2054.512 and to utilize the council to implement recommendations and initiatives under section 2054.514.
Membership Structure
The Council membership is composed of participation tiers that limit the leadership and decision making authority to a select and specific group defined as Council Members, and a broad and open participation group defined as Council Partners. The Council will be led by the Cybersecurity Coordinator, as designated by the Department Executive Director. The Council will elect a Vice-Chair that will fulfill the duties of the Chair if for any reason the Chair is temporarily unavailable. If the Vice-Chair cannot fulfill his or her term for any reason, the Council will elect a new Vice-Chair. The Department's Executive Director retains the authority for designation of the Cybersecurity Coordinator/Council Chair should for any reason the role require a replacement.
Interested in being a part of the Texas Cybersecurity Council? The Council is accepting Partner applications until June 5th at 11:59 PM CST! Texas Cybersecurity Participation Application and submit to the Council. All Partner applications will be reviewed and voted on in July by current council members. Partner Applicants that have been approved by the Council will be contacted directly.
Reference Materials
Authorizing Legislation
TCEEDC 2012 Report, "Building a More Secure and Prosperous Texas" – PDF (1,716 KB)
News
The CyberTexas Foundation awarded the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2015 Director's Community Leadership Award. Read the full article here.
“Principles of Cybersecurity” has been approved for use as an innovative course beginning with 2016-2017 school year.
University of Texas Austin is offering a FREE, online, computer science teacher certification course.
Supporting Programs
The Texas Cybersecurity Council relies on new and established programs to support the goal of developing a cybersecurity workforce.
CyberPatriot, a youth cyber education program, was developed by the Air Force Association (AFA) to educate children and young adults about cyber and prepare them for careers in cybersecurity and similar fields. This program offers highly competitive national competitions, camps and elementary school programs educating students about online hygiene and preparing them for the future of cyber.