Gov. Abbott signs bill to create Texas Cyber Command in SA to bolster responses to digital threats

SAN ANTONIO — Texas is ramping up its fight against worldwide cyberthreats with a new initiative based in San Antonio, which was made official after Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 150 into law.

The legislation establishes Texas Cyber Command, which will serve as a statewide cybersecurity force tasked with defending against digital attacks targeting Texas’s infrastructure, including public services and government systems. 

Texas Cyber Command will be headquartered at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s National Security Collaboration Center, which is located downtown.

“Our state is under constant attack by cyber criminals, attacks that occur thousands of times every single second of every single day,” Abbott said. “Cyber Command’s ultimate mission is to prevent and protect against cyber breaches.”

More than $135 million in state funding will support the development and operations of the command.

The facility will also house a new Cyber Threat Intelligence Center focused on identifying vulnerabilities in state and local systems and coordinating threat response efforts.

UTSA President Taylor Eighmy underscored San Antonio’s growing national reputation in the cybersecurity sector.

“It’s very fair to say that outside of Washington D.C., the very epicenter of excellence related to cybersecurity is here in the city of San Antonio,” Eighmy said.

Texas Cyber Command is expected to create more than 120 full-time jobs, adding to the city’s already robust cybersecurity workforce.

Abbott noted Texas has historically lagged behind other states in cybersecurity investment but said this new command center is designed to change that.

“They will collaborate with local, state and federal partners to establish the gold standard of cybersecurity,” Abbott added.

The command is expected to be fully operational by 2027, positioning San Antonio as a more prominent leader in digital defense and innovation.