Congressmen of the San Antonio, Texas delegation recently introduced a cybersecurity preparedness bill to both the U.S House of Representatives and the Senate, aiming for better training for local authorities against cyber attacks.
The National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium (NCPC) to train local law enforcement and various government agencies in preparing for and responding to cyber attacks. The University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA) and Texas A&M University’s Engineering Extension Program both signed on to participate in the NCPC partnership.
“This public-private partnership will strengthen cyber preparedness at the local level while enhancing the profile of San Antonio’s cybersecurity ecosystem,” U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Information Technology, said. “UTSA is already a leading academic institution in the cybersecurity field, and this authorization will further position the university to develop cutting-edge technologies that the rest of the nation will adopt.”
Greg White, professor of computer and information security at UTSA, said the university supported the bill and was excited to help various states and communities develop and improve their viable and sustainable cyber security programs.
“We believe that the Community Cyber Security Maturity Model that the NCPC’s efforts are based on provide a clear roadmap to help states and communities secure their cyber infrastructures,” White said.