DIR Releases Fiscal Year 20-21 Application for Cybersecurity Training Program Certification Under HB 3834

Enacted by the 86th Legislature, House Bill (HB) 3834 requires state and local government employees to annually complete a certified cybersecurity training program. The legislation tasks DIR, in consultation with the Texas Cybersecurity Council, with certifying at least five cybersecurity training programs that will satisfy the training requirement. To be certified, a cybersecurity training program must: (1) focus on forming habits and procedures that protect information resources; and (2) teach best practices for detecting, assessing, reporting, and addressing information security threats.

DIR worked with the Texas Cybersecurity Council to finalize the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 certification criteria and to update the standards for maintenance of certification.   DIR will accept applications for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 certification of training programs from June 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020.  DIR will work with applicants during this timeframe and publish the list of certified programs to the DIR website on August 31, 2020.

The  Fiscal Year 2020-2021 certification criteria, application, and additional information is available on the Cybersecurity Awareness Training Certification webpage:

https://dir.texas.gov/View-About-DIR/Information-Security/Pages/Content.aspx?id=154

Please direct any questions to [email protected].