Texas Cyber Command has shared its plans to build statewide cybersecurity operations and services, expand incident response and develop a broader cybersecurity workforce.
As of May, TXCC had 48 full-time employees and said it was scaling toward an anticipated workforce of 122 employees, along with additional expert contractors.
Workforce development is central to the new agency’s 2027-2031 strategic plan. TXCC said it will build on training and education programs transferred from the Department of Information Resources (DIR) through internships, fellowships, outreach, research, cyber innovation challenges, training platforms and collaboration with Texas institutions of higher education.
TXCC said it plans to pursue partnerships with Texas universities, community colleges, military transition programs and professional networks while developing apprenticeship and internship programs. The plan also said public-sector competitiveness remains a challenge because state agencies face salary and hiring constraints when competing for cybersecurity professionals.
The plan also identifies several core operational components, including the Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence Center, Cybersecurity Incident Response Unit, Digital Forensics Laboratory, Texas Information Sharing and Analysis Organization, Network Security Center, an online statewide cyber incident reporting portal, a 24-hour cybersecurity hotline, the Texas Volunteer Incident Response Team and Regional Security Operations Centers.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is included in the plan’s cybersecurity readiness and resilience goals. TXCC said it will integrate state-of-the-art AI into state cyber training to prevent attacks, and it plans to expand and transform incident response capabilities previously provided by the DIR by adding technologies including AI.
The agency’s plan also points to potential vendor-facing work around threat intelligence, information sharing, 24/7 network monitoring, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, security assessments and AI.
TXCC’s proposed budget structure calls for building out the Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence Center, Texas Information Sharing and Analysis Organization and Digital Forensics Laboratory with those capabilities.
Procurement flexibility is one of the plan’s more direct legislative recommendations.
TXCC said current purchasing statutes and requirements are not designed for the speed, duration or operational complexity of modern cybersecurity threats. The agency recommended language allowing delegation and exclusion from the comptroller’s purchasing authority, saying the change would help it act with speed and precision when emerging cyber risks outpace the standard procurement process.
The command also recommended statutory clarity around cybersecurity training, prohibited technologies and covered applications. The plan says DIR will keep AI training and guidance for governmental entities, while TXCC will incorporate an AI training component related to cybersecurity.
Another recommendation would add TXCC to the list of member agencies on the Homeland Security Council. The plan says the current statutory framework does not adequately reflect the operational connection between homeland security and cybersecurity or the level of interagency coordination now required in practice.
The plan’s capital planning section identifies statewide managed cybersecurity services, the use of AI to secure existing software stacks and a managed transition to post-quantum encryption as likely investment areas.
Photo by joffi from Pixabay
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