SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio cybersecurity company believes Military City USA is the perfect hub for fighting cyberattacks statewide. And now, we’re one step closer to Texas Cyber Command becoming a reality.

What You Need To Know

  • With a 130-13 vote, the Texas House overwhelmingly passed House Bill 150, which would establish the Texas Cyber Command in San Antonio

  • Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in February that the command center would be created “to better secure our state from cyberattacks”

  • CNF Technologies CEO Freddy Ramirez says the Alamo City will be the perfect location for a cyber command center because it would be “able to leverage the growing number of cyber professionals we have here in San Antonio.”

“Texans protecting Texans, I think that something that we need to standby,” said Freddy Ramirez, CEO of CNF Technologies.

With a 130-13 vote, the Texas House overwhelmingly passed House Bill 150, which would establish the Texas Cyber Command in San Antonio.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in February that the command center would be created “to better secure our state from cyberattacks.” Abbott even made the proposal one of his emergency items for this legislative session.

“It speaks to the necessity of establishing something like this when you have this type of bipartisan support,” said Ramirez. 

Ramirez says the Alamo City will be the perfect location for a cyber command center because it would be “able to leverage the growing number of cyber professionals we have here in San Antonio.”

For decades, between the 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), private companies and academic institutions — cybersecurity professionals have been working to stop cyberattacks right from San Antonio. 

“To try to figure out how do we access and analyze what activities malicious actors, who may in fact already be in place,” said Steve Barish, CNF Technologies’ chief strategy officer. “To find them, fix them, target them and get them out of our networks.”

Money grabbing attempts by hackers can cause chaos. In this technology-driven era, experts say it’s not a matter of if but when critical infrastructures like water, energy and government agencies will face cyberattacks.

“We saw what happened during the great freeze when we had an accidental interruption of the grid,” Barish said. “We’re looking into how would you address an intentional interruption of that grid.”

“These servers serve as the infrastructure that supports the collaborative nature of the development that’s going on here,” said CNF Technologies’ Chief Operating Officer Aaron Grace.

San Antonio has the second most cybersecurity professionals outside of Washington, D.C. The state’s geographical location puts Texas at the forefront of homeland security.

“Our major partners are the Department of Defense and that includes multiple service components, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps,” said Grace. 

Although Texas Cyber Command is in the early stages, we know it will be housed at the University of Texas at San Antonio. 

“Central leadership is going to be a key part,” said Grace. “If it’s well funded and has a strong vision, then everybody wants to be a part of that.”

Ramirez anticipates as HB 150 moves to the Texas Senate for consideration, the expertise local companies use to defend against cyberattacks across the nation will be tapped to benefit our state.

“Homegrown Texas companies are the ones that are part of an effort like this. All it does is strengthen the economy,” Ramirez said. “It strengthens the Texas economy. It straightens the economy of San Antonio because we’re able to keep that talent here. And the money that comes into these companies stays here.”