Feature Photo: Gov. Greg Abbott after signing the bill to create the Texas Cyber Command with Sen. Tan Parker (extreme left), Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (left) and UTSA President Taylor Eighmy (right). Image: Office of the Governor.
Posted: 6-4-2025
San Antonio (Bexar County) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law a measure that will create the Texas Cyber Command, the largest state-based cybersecurity department in America. The command will be headquartered in San Antonio, and UTSA will play an essential role in its advancement.
During a bill signing ceremony at the UTSA National Security Collaboration Center in which Abbott was joined by UTSA President Taylor Eighmy, bill sponsors Sen. Tan Parker and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, and other key leaders, Abbott emphasized that San Antonio is the ideal location for the command, with the largest concentration of cybersecurity experts outside of Washington, D.C.
The Texas Cyber Command, a new state cybersecurity department, is expected to be fully operational by 2027. This timeline enables the building of infrastructure, hiring of staff, and development of monitoring and response protocols.
“There could be no more fitting a location with a combination of all these assets fighting one of the most vicious and constant crimes we deal with every single day,” Abbott said. “Working together, they will put Texas on a path to be a national leader in cybersecurity.”
In addition to UTSA’s role in producing more graduates with a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity than any other state university, San Antonio cybersecurity expertise includes the Sixteenth Air Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Southwest Texas Fusion Center.
“It’s very fair to say that outside of Washington, D.C., the very epicenter of excellence related to cybersecurity is here, and it’s a perfect host for the Texas Cyber Command,” Eighmy said.
Funded through a historic $135 million investment, the Texas Cyber Command will:
- Launch a cyber threat intelligence center to identify and repair weaknesses in state and local government systems and to train and educate users about preventing cyber breaches
- Coordinate with governments on swift and effective responses to cyber attacks
- Collaborate with local, state and federal partners to establish the gold standard for cybersecurity
Also in attendance for the bill signing were leading cybersecurity experts from the military, industry and academia, UTSA students, Texas Department of Information Resources Executive Director Amanda Crawford, Texas Department of Public Safety Colonel Freeman F. Martin, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, and other elected officials.
Edited from news release.
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