Full article by Ernesto Ballesteros, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, February 28, 2024.
In this featured article, a cybersecurity state coordinator for CISA explains how cybersecurity is a core business process that involves the entire organization or agency. The continuity of government and operations depends on a collaborative approach. Listen to an expert’s recommendations for making cybersecurity more than just an “IT Thing.”
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Ernesto Ballesteros
Ernesto Ballesteros serves as the cybersecurity state coordinator for the State of Texas at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Region 6. In this role, he builds strategic public and private sector relationships in Texas to facilitate the development and maintenance of secure and resilient infrastructure. Previously, he served the State of Texas, as the state cybersecurity coordinator and chair of the Texas Cybersecurity Council at the Texas Department of Information Resources. As the state cybersecurity coordinator, Ballesteros led the Texas Cybersecurity Council to collaborate on state cybersecurity matters. He contributed to the development and implementation of statewide initiatives, such as the Texas Information Sharing and Analysis Organization, the Statewide Cybersecurity Awareness Training Program, and more. Prior professional roles include: information security officer for the Alamo Colleges District (San Antonio, Texas); information security officer at Jefferson Bank (San Antonio); information security consultant at Omnikron Systems (Woodland Hills, California); assistant professor of Computer Information Systems and Security at Our Lady of the Lake University (San Antonio); director of the Center for Information Assurance Management and Leadership at Our Lady of the Lake University (San Antonio); and information systems auditor for CPS Energy (San Antonio). Ballesteros is an adjunct professor of Law at St. Mary’s University School of Law (San Antonio), where he teaches cybersecurity, information systems, and law.
