Cyber-attacks have become more prevalent in the last decade, as the rise of the internet has been met with hackers, bad actors, and attacks that can cripple entire businesses. There have been plenty of stories of hospitals being hacked, and cases of business being held cyber hostage for ransom. While it is a bad thing, it is also just part of what comes with living in this technological era.
More and more states are now trying to shore up their defenses against these attacks, and Texas is another one in the parade. Governor Greg Abbott recently listed the creation of a 'Texas Cyber Command' as an emergency item for the legislative session. While the exact details on what that task force would look like are unclear, it is a clear indication Texas is seeing how vulnerable we are, and what problems an attack could create.
Nikolas Guggenberger of the University of Houston Law Center says the exposure and potential for attack stems from the world wide web being such a vital piece of infrastructure.
"This all comes from the fact that almost all our infrastructure is all somehow, and in some way, connected to the internet," he says.
Cyber-attacks do not have to be big, either. Sometimes they go after small businesses because they lack resources to combat an attack. But that can domino and turn into ways to access bigger infrastructure like sewer systems, water plants, hospitals, and other vital things on which we rely.
Most of the threat has come from China in recent years, but Russia, Iran, and North Korea have all shown a talent for creating chaos and havoc online.
The venture in Texas is set to be headquarters in San Antonio, which puts them near plenty of cybersecurity experts at the University of Texas at San Antonio, which is part of the United States Cyber Command Academic Engagement Network.
But as with any huge security undertaking, it does not come cheap. Which is why funding from the state will play a huge role in this program.
"You have to hire highly specialized people and expertise in that area can be expensive," says Guggenberger. "You also have to build up a highly capable structure."
The state has taken action in the past, allocating over $17 million for cybersecurity projects through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. Since that program came to fruition, the state has spent around $40 million on it. But in the grand scheme of things, that is just not enough to keep up with the advancements of hackers, and bad actors around the world.
So, how much money gets pumped into this venture will determine if it saves us any long-term pain.
"This can have quite positive impacts if funded well...if not funded well, it will just not have a meaningful impact," he says. "This is not something you can do half-way. You have to do it right, and invest a lot of money, or it will not accomplish much."
Whether or not the legislature actually accomplishes anything with this emergency item is also up in the air. But to protect Texans, it is a necessary item to get done.
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