Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Timothy James “TJ” White as Chief of the Texas Cyber Command. White’s term will run until February 1, 2027. The Texas Cyber Command was established to coordinate cybersecurity efforts among state, local, and federal agencies to defend against cyber threats.
“Our state is under constant attack by cyber criminals, attacks that occur thousands of times every single second of every single day,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas needs strong cybersecurity experts to lead our fight against these attacks, often from hostile foreign adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. 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.”
Governor Abbott identified the creation of the Texas Cyber Command as an emergency priority during his 2025 State of the State Address. The initiative was signed into law in June during the 89th Regular Legislative Session.
White is a retired vice admiral in the U.S. Navy and founder of OneNetworkConnection, LLC. He currently serves as a Professor-of-Practice at the Naval Postgraduate School and is involved with organizations such as the Military Cyber Professionals Association, Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, and Southwest Research Institute as a trustee. His military career began in 1983 in Spring, Texas; he retired in 2020 after serving for 37 years. His roles included Commander of United States Fleet Cyber Command/United States TENTH Fleet/United States Navy Space Command and Commander of United States Cyber National Mission Force/USCYBERCOM. He also served as Director of Intelligence for United States Indo-Pacific Command.
White holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, a Master’s degree in Systems Technology from Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master’s degree in Strategic Resource Management from Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
