Texas set to appoint head of cybersecurity
Legislation sitting on Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s desk will add new meaning to the phrase ‘Don’t Mess with Texas.’
Bills SB 1102 and SB 1101, passed by the Texas state legislature and sent to the governor on May 1, empower state Chief Information Officer Karen Robinson to appoint a coordinator “to oversee cybersecurity matters for this state.”
Designated responsibilities for the new role include establishing a council of public and private sector “practitioners” to collaborate on matters of state cybersecurity as well as a voluntary program to recognize “private and public entities functioning with exemplary cybersecurity practices.”
The effort is the culmination of a Texas Cybersecurity, Education and Economic Development Council 2012 survey and subsequent report recommendations submitted to the Department of Information Resources aimed at improving the state’s critical infrastructure and accelerating the “growth of cybersecurity as an industry in the state.”
As designated in the legislation, the appointment must be made no later than December 31, 2013.
Full report:
