AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced his appointment for the first chief of the Texas Cyber Command, a new state-level agency intended to protect against “cyber threats.”
The appointee is retired Vice Admiral Timothy James “TJ” White, according to a news release from Abbott’s office.
“Admiral White’s decades of honorable military service to our country combined with his cybersecurity expertise makes him the leader we need at the helm of the Texas Cyber Command. Admiral White and the Texas Cyber Command will serve as essential assets to prevent and protect against cyber breaches to keep Texans safe,” Abbott said in the release Tuesday.
The department was created after the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 150 during the 89th Legislative Session. Abbott signed it into law in June.
White also founded cybersecurity firm OneNetworkConnection, LLC., according to Abbott’s office. The former vice admiral joined the U.S. Navy in 1983 and was honorably discharged in 2020 after 37 years of service.
“Our state is under constant attack by cyber criminals, attacks that occur thousands of times every single second of every single day,” Abbott said in a June news release. “Working together with the Texas Cyber Command, Texas will be on the path to be a national leader in cybersecurity.”
The $135 million investment will be headquartered in San Antonio, according to Abbott’s office.
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