White Paper
Cyber & Environmental Resilience
In the last year, Texas has experienced extreme weather events, social and political unrest, and ransomware attacks threatening sensitive data at state agencies. These shock and stress events will only increase in frequency and severity, as Texans saw with Winter Storm Uri. The record-breaking storm cause a deadly pile-up in Fort Worth, pictured above. As both environmental and cyber threats develop and evolve, owners and operators of critical infrastructure must prioritize building resilience in their systems. How can Texas agencies develop resilient infrastructure to withstand evolving cyber and environmental threats? This question is increasingly relevant for TxDOT as an agency that manages a huge inventory of transportation and ITS infrastructure, collects and stores sensitive travel data, and continues to lead in innovation. Understanding vulnerabilities, interdependent systems, and critical assets is an essential step to maintaining a safe and effective network. In addition to those topics, this paper explores current initiatives and key strategies that agencies can take to understand vulnerabilities, mitigate risk, and develop resilient infrastructure.