Texas Cyber Security Research and Training Institute

The Congressionally Recommended Awards Program, authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), helps improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and/or assist victims of crime (other than compensation). Funds should be used for the projects recommended by Congress, in the amounts specified in the joint explanatory statement incorporated by reference into Pub. L. 111-117, and generally consistent with one or more of the following statutory purposes: improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, preventing or combating juvenile delinquency, or assisting victims of crime (other than compensation). Each of these purposes is framed using language drawn, respectively, from the former Byrne discretionary statute, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 2010 Congressional Budget and by the joint explanatory statement that is incorporated by reference into the FY2010 Department of Justice Appropriations Act.

The University of Texas at Tyler will utilize the FY 2010 Congressionally Recommended Award to establish the Texas Cyber Security Research and Training Institute (TxCSRT) to investigate cyber security related to the petroleum industry and to train law enforcement personnel in computer forensics. The University's Center for Petroleum Security Research (CPSR) will develop techniques to fight potential crimes against petroleum industry data transmission and control systems. The petroleum industry extensively deploys computer-based Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems to collect, store, analyze, and control data related to its distributed facilities from central locations. SCADA systems are vulnerable to hijack and attack by criminals and terrorists. The CPSR will develop new techniques to protect these SCADA systems and to identify and bring to justice any criminal who tries to disrupt them.

The Texas First-Responder Cyber Security Training Program will train law enforcement personnel to identify and collect computer evidence of child pornography, identity theft, credit card fraud, and digital terrorism. This program is tasked with training law enforcement officers in digital forensics. Officers must be informed on search and seizure procedures involving computers used for crime and must be trained to conduct proper investigations into these crimes, so that evidence is admissible in a court of law.

NCA/NCF