Building a More Secure and
Prosperous Texas through Expanded
Cybersecurity
Mary Dickerson
Texas Cybersecurity, Education and Economic Development Council
April 2013
The Texas Cybersecurity Education, and
Economic Development Council (TCEEDC)
Established in 2011 by Texas Legislature (SB 988)
9 members from government, academia,
industry
Council directive - provide recommendations to:
Improve the infrastructure of the state’s
cybersecurity operations with existing resources and
through partnerships between government,
business, and institutions of higher education
Examine specific actions to accelerate the growth of
cybersecurity as an industry in Texas
TCEEDC SWOT Analysis
Advancing a Cyber Secure
Infrastructure for Texas
• Recommendations:
– State level Coordinator for CyberSecurity within the
Office of the Governor
– Business Executives for Texas Security (BETS)
partnership
– “Cyber Star” program to foster improvement of cyber
resiliency in both private and public infrastructure in
the state as well as increasing public trust
establishing a baseline for responsible cyber
operations
Advancing a Cyber Secure
Infrastructure for Texas
• Recommendations (cont.)
– Adopt the Community Cyber Security Maturity
Model (CCSMM) as a State-wide guide
– Update the Duties and Powers of the Texas
Department of Information Resources (DIR)
Proposed CyberStar Program
Benefits of Cyber Star
• Process-driven model that encourages
continuous innovation with risk mitigation
• Private and public sector mutually incented,
and protected physically and legally
• Enables application of resilience framework
across all objectives: protect/deter,
detect/monitor, constrain/isolate,
maintain/recover, and adapt
Developing CyberSecurity Industry in Tx
• Recommendations:
– Develop a comprehensive strategy and roadmap
– Increase the number of cybersecurity practitioners in
Texas
– Provide a consistent voice for industry
– Continue investment in higher education
cybersecurity programs.
– Promote collaboration, innovation, and
entrepreneurship in cybersecurity
Creating an Enduring
Cybersecurity Culture in Texas
• Recommendations:
– Establish the BETS group to set in motion activities
that will create the Texas cybersecurity education
pipeline
– Review and sharpen DIR’s leadership role in
establishing a sustainable cybersecurity awareness
program for all Texans
Proposed Texas Legislation
• SB 1101 - Extends the Council to September 2015
(2 additional years)
• SB 1102 – Establishes the state cybersecurity
coordinator position and framework, allows for
implementation of the BETS/CyberStar concepts as
well as any of the Council’s recommendations
Proposed Texas Legislation cont.
• SB 1134 – Expands DIR roles to include cybersecurity
initiatives for state agencies and also to promote
public awareness of cybersecurity
• SB 1597 – Requires state agencies to document
specific information security plans and submit
biannual reports to DIR
For More Information:
TCEEDC:
http://www2.dir.state.tx.us/sponsored/SB988/Pages/overview.aspx
Mary E. Dickerson, MBA CISSP, CISM, PMP
Executive Director, IT Security
Chief Information Security Officer
University of Houston | University of Houston System
phone: 832-842-4679
email: mdickerson@uh.edu