The Texas Cyber Command, named an emergency item by Governor Abbott and passed by the 89th Texas Legislature as House Bill 150, prevents and responds to cyberattacks targeting the public and private entities that Texans depend on. The Texas Cyber Command leverages the cybersecurity expertise and resources of state, local, and federal partners to protect Texans against cyber threats.
As cybersecurity threats continue to grow in significance and sophistication, Texas must act accordingly and take the necessary steps to safeguard our state’s critical infrastructure networks from hackers and hostile foreign actors. Adversaries such as China, Iran, and Russia could cripple our power, water, and transportation systems through online attacks. As the world's eighth-largest economy, Texas is a prime target for nation-state actors, ransomware groups, and cybercriminals due to its critical infrastructure across the energy, finance, transportation, and military sectors.
The Texas Cyber Command will be the largest state-based cybersecurity department in the United States. It will provide a proactive defense framework, shifting from reactive measures to prevention and resilience. By partnering and collaborating with state universities, Regional Security Operations Centers, federal cyber focused agencies and our local and state partners, the Cyber Command will significantly strengthen the state’s cybersecurity mission on key terrain and strategic fronts and deploy cutting-edge capabilities to secure Texas infrastructure.
The Texas Cyber Command:
- Anticipates and detects potential cyber threats
- Promotes cybersecurity awareness, professional training, and other workforce-oriented measures
- Prepares for cyberattacks through various exercises, pre-attack coordination and planning, and proactive collaboration with critical infrastructure partners
- Defends against, responds effectively to, and mitigates against the effects of cyberattacks when they occur, working across the state and with relevant partners
- Provides subject matter expertise, forensic analysis, and other support to conduct post-attack investigations and recovery efforts
Texas Cyber Command Chief
Appointed by Governor Greg Abbott on September 16, 2025, Timothy “TJ” White serves as the Chief of the Texas Cyber Command. In this role, White leads Texas’s first agency solely dedicated to safeguarding Texans from malicious foreign cyber actors targeting government entities and critical infrastructure.
A retired Vice Admiral in the U.S. Navy, White founded OneNetworkConnection, LLC, a strategic advisory firm specializing in national security, cybersecurity, full-spectrum cyber operations, space, intelligence, and joint military operations. He served as a Professor-of-Practice at the Naval Postgraduate School, with affiliations to the Military Cyber Professionals Association, the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, and Southwest Research Institute.
White joined the Navy in 1983 and was honorably discharged after 37 years of service in 2020. During his time in the Navy, he served as the Commander of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. Tenth Fleet/U.S. Navy Space Command/Joint Force Headquarters Cyber (Navy), and as Commander of the U.S. Cyber National Mission Force/US Cyber Command. He is the former Director of Intelligence for United States Indo-Pacific Command.
White hails from Spring, Texas, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, a Master of Science in Systems Technology from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master of Science in Strategic Resource Management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces/National Defense University. He chairs the board of advisors of the Military Cyber Professionals Association and previously served as Vice Chair of the University of Texas at San Antonio National Security Collaboration Center.
More on Texas Cyber Command
Governor Abbott Announces Texas Cyber Command An Emergency Item
Governor Abbott Signs Texas Cyber Command Into Law In San Antonio
House Bill 150, 89th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2025