San Antonio to become hub for new Texas cyber command
06 February 2025
by Jonathan Andrews
San Antonio is set to become the epicentre of Texas’s fight against cyber threats with the proposed creation of the Texas Cyber Command.
The Texas governor, Greg Abbott (pictured), issued the ‘urgent call’ during his State of the State address in Austin. It comes in response to a surge in cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure across the state and the US.
“A problem that’s on the rise dramatically in the state of Texas and candidly across the country, and that is the number of cyber attacks,” he said. “These cyber attacks in just the past week or so, [have] hit a city, hit a hospital, hit a prominent business, and this happens week after week, and it’s increasing.”
Abbott pointed to foreign adversaries as key suspects behind the attacks.
“These attacks are coming from places like China, Russia, Iran, and other rogue outlets across the entire globe,” he warned.
The proposed Texas Cyber Command will serve as a dedicated task force focused on enhancing the state’s cybersecurity defences, monitoring cyber threats, and responding swiftly to attacks.
“We cannot let any more time go by without strongly and robustly addressing this problem,” he said. “And that is why I’m calling for an emergency item to create the Texas Cyber Command, to better secure our state from cyberattacks.”
The Texas Cyber Command will be headquartered in San Antonio, leveraging the expertise and resources of The University of Texas at San Antonio and surrounding state, local, and federal partners. The command will collaborate with state universities, Regional Security Operation Centres, and other government agencies to strengthen cybersecurity efforts across Texas.
Texas is a prime target for cyber threats due to its status as the 8th largest economy in the world, a leader in oil and gas production, has the most airports of any state, hosts 15 major military installations, and is home to the world’s largest medical complex at the Texas Medical Center.
Image: © Beth Baisch | Dreamstime.com
