Texas Cyber Command becomes law, UTSA to play key role

Gov. Greg Abbott signs the bill to create the Texas Cyber Command with Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (left) and President Taylor Eighmy (right) on Monday.

JUNE 3, 2025 — 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 important 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.

“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.”

“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.”

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 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.

“UT System stands ready to support the Command,” Eighmy told Abbott. “Governor, we are excited to collaborate with you to bring the Command into existence to serve the needs of our great state of Texas.”