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 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: Mary E. Dickerson, MBA CISSP, CISM, PMP Executive Director, IT Security Chief Information Security Officer University of Houston | University of Houston System phone: