DIR Publishes Certified Cybersecurity Training Program List

The list of certified cybersecurity training programs required by House Bill 3834 of the 86^th Texas Legislature is available on the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) webpage.

The DIR was required to certify the content of a minimum of five programs. The initial list, published on October 31, 2019, includes 33 programs giving organizations a variety of choices. Additional programs will be certified and added on a continuing basis.

State and local government employees are required to complete a certified training annually, with an initial deadline of June 14, 2020. An employee includes anyone who has been given an account to access any local government computer system or database, and elected officials.

The next steps the DIR outlines for local governments include:

• If your organization is currently using a cybersecurity training program:
  • Check the list of certified programs to see if it has been certified.
  • If it has, continue using that program to meet the requirements of HB 3834 (86R). Make note of the modules listed with the certified program, and make sure you are including these in your training.
  • If it has not, first make sure your program has been submitted for certification (if it's a 3rd-party program, check with the training provider). Second, continue to monitor the list of certified programs as additional programs will be added as they are certified.
• If your organization is not currently using a cybersecurity training program:
  • Review the list of certified programs to find one that meets your needs.
  • Contact the point of contact for instructions on:
    • how to access the training program (if you selected an in-house program that the organization is willing to share, or
    • how to procure the training program (if you selected a 3rd-party program). 

Additional details are available on the cybersecurity awareness training certification webpage.