U.S. Texas Cybersecurity Act — State Cybersecurity Governance Requirements

Why it Matters

The U.S. Texas Cybersecurity Act establishes statewide governancethat helps public entities strengthen cybersecurity practices andmeet legislative requirements.

Key benefits include:

• Strengthen cybersecurity oversight

Establish clearroles, authority, and responsibilities for cybersecurity governancewithin state agencies and public sector organizations.

• Improve risk management practices

Drive consistentrisk assessment and mitigation efforts to address threats andvulnerabilities impacting critical state information systems.

• Enhance statewide regulatory alignment

Supportcompliance with state laws and directives by ensuring cybersecurityactivities adhere to Texas-specific legislative mandates.

• Increase audit and reporting readiness

Provideframeworks and guidelines that facilitate timely, accurate, andtransparent security audit processes and legislative reporting.

• Promote coordinated incident response

Enable improvedcommunication and collaboration for incident detection, response, andrecovery across state agencies and partner organizations.

How it Works

The U.S. Texas Cybersecurity Act establishes a governance frameworkstructured around statutory requirements, risk management mandates,and defined roles for state agencies. The framework delineates keydomains, including the adoption of security controls, the designationof information security officers, and requirements for periodic riskassessments and incident reporting. Its provisions outline ongoingoversight responsibilities by central state authorities and establishminimum security standards for public sector entities across Texas.

In practice, state agencies and institutions of higher educationimplement the Texas Cybersecurity Act by integrating its controls andgovernance requirements into their internal security and complianceprograms. Common operational activities include conducting regularrisk and compliance assessments, documenting and enforcing securitypolicies, responding to and reporting cybersecurity incidents, andmaintaining continuous monitoring of security practices to supportongoing regulatory compliance.

SmartSuite supports operationalizing the Texas Cybersecurity Act byproviding control libraries that map statutory requirements tospecific security controls. Organizations can maintain riskregisters, automate policy governance, and track evidence forcompliance audits. Additional features enable streamlined remediationworkflows, facilitate compliance tracking, and present executivereporting dashboards to demonstrate ongoing adherence and readinessfor state-level security audits.

Key Elements

• Statewide Cybersecurity Governance Structure

Details theorganizational roles and responsibilities for overseeingcybersecurity initiatives across state agencies.

• Centralized Leadership Authority

Establishes alead cybersecurity officer or council responsible for statewidestandards and coordination.

• Agency Security Program Requirements

Specifiescybersecurity guidelines that individual state agencies mustimplement and maintain for their information systems.

• Incident Reporting and Response Processes

Describesstructured procedures for identifying, escalating, and addressingcybersecurity incidents within state networks.

• Periodic Risk Assessments

Outlinesrequirements for regular evaluation of cybersecurity risks andassessment of controls effectiveness.

• Training and Awareness Programs

Defines mandatoryeducation initiatives to enhance cybersecurity knowledge andpractices among state employees.

Framework Scope

The U.S. Texas Cybersecurity Act — State Cybersecurity GovernanceRequirements is implemented by Texas state agencies, publicinstitutions, and government service providers. The framework governsinformation systems, data assets, and technology infrastructure, andis typically adopted for complying with state regulatory mandates,supporting state-level cybersecurity governance, and enhancing riskmanagement and compliance program effectiveness.

Framework Objectives

The U.S. Texas Cybersecurity Act sets requirements to strengthencybersecurity governance, risk management, and compliance for stateagencies.

Strengthen cybersecurity governance and oversight for stateinformation systems

Promote effective risk management to reduce cybersecurity threats andvulnerabilities

Enhance compliance with state and federal cybersecurity regulationsand requirements

Protect sensitive data and ensure robust data protection practices

Improve operational resilience through established security controlsand protocols

Enable increased audit readiness and transparent reporting ofcybersecurity measures The U.S. Texas Cybersecurity Act establishesstate-specific cybersecurity governance requirements, often mapped toframeworks like NIST Cybersecurity Framework, HIPAA, and CJIS forbroader compliance. Organizations implement the Act's provisions tomeet state regulatory obligations, align with federal standards, andstrengthen public sector security governance and risk managementpractices.

Framework in Context

The U.S. TexasCybersecurity Act establishes state-specific cybersecurity governancerequirements, often mapped to frameworks like NIST CybersecurityFramework, HIPAA, and CJIS for broader compliance. Organizationsimplement the Act's provisions to meet state regulatory obligations,align with federal standards, and strengthen public sector securitygovernance and risk management practices.

Common Framework Mappings

Organizations map the Texas Cybersecurity Act to other majorframeworks to streamline regulatory compliance, enablecross-jurisdictional consistency, and strengthen their overallcybersecurity governance and risk management efforts.

Mapped frameworks include:

CIS Critical Security Controls

CJIS Security Policy

COBIT

FedRAMP

FERPA

GLBA

HIPAA

ISO/IEC 27001

NIST Cybersecurity Framework

NIST SP 800-53

‍