Texas to Establish Cyber Command Amid “Dramatic” Rise in Attacks

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced plans to create a Texas Cyber Command, designed to combat a “dramatic” rise in cyber-attacks targeting the US state.

Abbott unveiled the Cyber Command as an emergency item during his State of the State address on February 2, 2025.

He revealed that in the previous week alone, a city, hospital and prominent business in Texas had been impacted by cyber-attacks.

“This happens week after week and it’s increasing. These attacks are coming from places like China, Russia, Iran, and other rogue outlets across the entire globe,” Abbott warned.

“We cannot let any more time go by without strongly, robustly, addressing this problem. And that is why I’m calling for an emergency item to create the Texas Cyber Command to better secure our state from cyber-attacks,” the governor added.

On January 24, Matagorda County municipal government in Texas issued a disaster declaration after a “virus” had infiltrated the county’s network through an unauthorized access point, disrupting operations.

Organizations in Texas are a lucrative target for cybercriminals and nation state actors. This state is the eighth largest economy in the world, produces the largest volume of oil and gas in the US, is home to the most airports of any state and has 15 major military installations.

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Texas Cyber Command to Provide Detection and Response

The Texas Cyber Command will be headquartered in San Antonio, enabling it to leverage the expertise and resources of the University of Texas San Antonio Campus, as well as surrounding state, local and federal partners.

San Antonio is a major cybersecurity hub in the US, home to a large concentration of cybersecurity experts and companies.

The Cyber Command will have a range of objectives, including:

• Anticipating and detecting potential cyber threats across the state
• Providing incident response preparation, including exercises and pre-attack coordination and planning with critical infrastructure partners
• Defending against, respond effectively to, and mitigate against the effects of cyber-attacks when they occur, working across the state
• Providing subject matter expertise, forensic analysis and other support to conduct post-attack investigations and recovery efforts
• Promoting cybersecurity awareness, professional training and other workforce-oriented measures

No date has been given for when the Cyber Command is expected to begin its work.