Texas Takes Steps To Guard Against Russian Cyberattacks
Could Russia attack the State of Texas and the United States through cyberattacks? With Russia at war with Ukraine and the United States and its allies putting sanctions on Russia, many believe that Russia could respond via cyberattack on businesses and even infrastructure.
It's a threat the State of Texas is taking seriously. On Friday, Governor Greg Abbott issued a press release announcing that the Governor had sent a letter to the Texas Department of Information Resources and the Texas Department of Public Safety that directed both of the agencies to use all resources to protect Texas' critical infrastructure. The letter also directed the agencies to assist local governments and school districts throughout the state.
Including in the press release were critical actions that must be taken by the agencies to safeguard the state.
The Governor outlined critical actions that must be taken by DIR and DPS:
- Enhance Texas’ cyber security through the use of best industry practices and other key measures.
- Ensure Texas can quickly detect a potential cyber intrusion through the use of software services, such as antivirus and endpoint detection and response technologies.
- Prepare for an intrusion by utilizing a cyber incident response team.
- Maximize the state’s resilience to a destructive cyber incident.
- Track and report any attacks from Russian sources so the public is fully aware of their tactics.
Governor Abbott wrote in his letter that the State of Texas has taken "significant strides to bolster cybersecurity defenses". The Governor pointed to new laws aimed at cybersecurity.
Expect to hear more about this as Russian aggression continues. You can read Abbott's full letter here.