The Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at The University of Texas at San Antonio has received a $100,000 grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support a pioneering program that provides low- and no-cost cybersecurity services to organizations in need while cultivating hands-on workforce development opportunities for UT San
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is proud to announce that its educational card game, Cyber Threat Defender (CTD), has been recognized as a Silver Medal winner in the 2025 International Serious Play
University of California, Irvine triumphed at the 2025 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Championship (NCCDC), prevailing over nine other finalist teams to earn the coveted Alamo Cup. In this national championship, teams protected a fictional firm’s network against an onslaught of persistent cyberattacks mounted by top security experts playing the part
19th annual competition trains the next generation of cybersecurity professionals amid current skills shortage SAN ANTONIO (April 27, 2024) – University of Central Florida competed against nine other student-led teams to become National Champions in the 2024 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC), presented by the Center for Infrastructure Assurance
The UTSA Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) received a $500,000 grant from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to grow the UTSA/CIAS Cyber Clinic. The clinic is a long-term initiative focused on strengthening cybersecurity knowledge among UTSA students and the community at large by hosting on-campus classes and workshops at the offices of local organizations.
Alan CyBear, the “Smokey Bear” of cybersecurity, made an appearance in Washington, D.C. last week with the CIAS at the 9th Annual ED Games Expo, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Held at the Kennedy Center, the Expo showcases game-changing forms of education technology, including the CIAS card games
18th annual competition trains next generation of cybersecurity professionals DALLAS (May 1, 2023) – Stanford University competed against nine other student-led teams to become champion of the 2023 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, sponsored by Raytheon Technologies. Held at the Dallas-Addison Marriott from April 28-30, the competition saw more than
Top 10 teams in the nation will meet in Dallas to compete April 28-30 DALLAS, TEXAS—The Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at The University of Texas at San Antonio today announced the 10 finalists for the 18th Annual National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC) Championship. The NCCDC, hosted
With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is hosting a conference to accelerate workforce initiatives prioritized by the White House Office of the National Cybersecurity Director (ONCD). The Academia Involvement in Community Cybersecurity Conference will be held at the university’s new
The cultural icon Smokey Bear, with his yellow hat and wildfire prevention tagline, has been familiar to Americans for decades. Likewise, McGruff the Crime Dog, who encouraged the public to “Take a bite out of crime.” Today, younger generations have the Safetypup to help children learn about safety issues from law enforcement.
Each of these famous characters has helped encourage a culture of security. But what about a culture of cybersecurity?
The Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is proud to announce the release of its renewed website. The new website features a responsive design that aligns with the university’s main website. It also supports the CIAS mission to deliver quality research, training cyber competitions, K-12 cybersecurity programs to advance community and organizational cybersecurity capabilities and collaboration.
BLOG — Incident response addresses the question: “How well did you prepare?” Your response to that question is directly related to your preparation. This supports the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—or response. This article takes a look at five basic lessons to consider when mitigating incidents to help you prepare and prevent a potential cyber incident.
SAN ANTONIO (April 25, 2022) – The University of Central Florida competed against nine other student-led teams to become champion of the 2022 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC), presented by the CIAS in partnership with the competition’s presenting sponsor Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business. This year, more than 1,500 competitors from 171 schools across the country participated in the 17th annual NCCDC, held in San Antonio from April 21-23.
BLOG – Before your family begins to plan out your travel games and scenic views in favor of their favorite electronic pastime, make sure you, your friends and family are prepped and ready to travel. And no, this doesn’t simply mean making sure the car’s oil has been changed or everyone’s passports are current.
Take a few minutes to read our top six cyber security tips for travelers. It’s easier than you think to be a cyber secure traveler today.
News & Updates To request an interview with the CIAS or learn more about the following articles, contact Julina Macy or email cias@utsa.edu. 02May University of California, Irvine wins Alamo Cup at 20th National Collegiate Cyber Defense Championship University of California, Irvine triumphed at the 2025 National Collegiate Cyber Defense
BLOG – To create effective passwords, let’s begin by making sure we’re all on the same page about what is a password.
Passwords are a form of identification that people use to prove their identity when logging in to a system. Create an effective password that is memorable, but complex. Generally, longer passwords are stronger passwords. If you forget a password or it is easily accessible by others, then that password is no longer useful or effective.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (August 26, 2021) – The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, as part of the National Security Agency (NSA), has awarded a grant in the amount of $1.67 million to the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to help communities become more cyber secure nationwide.
(August 4, 2021) — Judson Independent School District paid a more than $500,000 ransom to hackers who threatened to publish “sensitive, identifiable information” on the dark web and crippled the district’s information technology systems for a month, the district announced Wednesday. . . . Ransomware attacks are “one of, if not the most common, attacks impacting organizations” today, said Greg White, UTSA computer science professor and CIAS director.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (March 9, 2021) — University of Central Florida prevailed over nine other schools to win the 2021 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition and the coveted Alamo Cup. The national championship, sponsored by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, was held in an entirely virtual setting.
MAY 20, 2021 — The Gula Tech Foundation has awarded UTSA’s Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) a $250,000 grant to raise public awareness about cybersecurity. The foundation distributed $1 million in grants across seven winners, with the CIAS being recognized as its first-place recipient.
On May 20, 2021, in conjunction with RSAC 2021, the Gula Tech Foundation announced the winners of their $1,000,000 March 2021 Data Care themed competitive grant program. This competitive grant focused on non-profits committed to to increasing public cybersecurity awareness. The CIAS was awarded the first place prize of $250,000 for their K-12 Cybersecurity Program.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has awarded the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) a $1.2 million grant to conduct a pilot program to help state, local, tribal and territorial governments identify high value assets (HVA) in order to prioritize resources and planning. The pilot will aid these governments in establishing an HVA program that aligns with the federal government’s while maintaining the flexibility needed to incorporate their individual needs.
(March 9, 2021) — The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Monday announced a $1.2 million grant to a think tank at University of Texas at San Antonio that will launch a pilot program to help state and local governments improve the cyber defenses of their most critical systems.
(November 30, 2020) — The CIAS K–12 Cybersecurity Program has launched nationally to provide an innovative approach to creating a culture of cybersecurity for people of all ages by improving and expanding student interest in cybersecurity.
(July 28, 2020) — Social distancing means more time at home and often more online shopping. Protect yourself from credit card fraud while you protect your health from the coronavirus.
(July 8, 2020) — Actively working to improve the Nation’s culture of cybersecurity, the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at the University of Texas at San Antonio has developed Cyber Threat Protector, a new tabletop card game that is designed to introduce cybersecurity principles and safety to players – beginning in the third grade.
BLOG — To complement – and supplement – the eLearning assignments children are using to pass the time at home, parents can access additional cybersecurity and technology focused activity sheets. The UTSA Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security offers a variety of resources for free to families to help create a culture of cybersecurity for all ages.
BLOG — No matter how old your child may be, there are some common sense best practices, as well as steps you can take, to help the players in your home enjoy playing online games in a safe and cyber-secure environment. To help you navigate the online gaming world, consider the following tips before and after your child begins to play a game online.
(January 12, 2020) — In light of the overseas conflict, there’s been a lot of talk about the nation’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks. Dwayne Williams, associate director at the CIAS, provides insights into cyber attacks and how families can protect their homes from cybersecurity vulnerabilities in this Kens5.com interview.
(December 3, 2019) — Bret Piatt, CTR host, and Dwayne Williams, associate director of technology and research at UTSA’s Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) discuss creating nationwide programs such as CyberPatriot and the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. – Episode 166 of Cyber Talk Radio.
BLOG — The Internet is full of stories of cybercriminals invading a home by hijacking its smart devices. You’re probably familiar with some of these devices, such as smart thermostats, smart speakers and Web cams. But have you thought about that fancy new refrigerator you just purchased, or your light bulbs? To help you navigate some common – and often forgotten – smart devices in your home, we’ve compiled 10 Internet of Things (IoT) devices that hackers can hijack.
(November 22, 2019) — U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act, legislation that would authorize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to work with the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium (NCPC) to help prepare for and respond to cybersecurity risks at the national, state, and local levels, passed the Senate.
(October 3, 2019) — Cybersecurity is critical for individuals, companies and the military. See how high-tech and low-tech are holding hands to prevent security hack attacks. The University of Texas at San Antonio invented a new card game, which pairs with a digital game to teach people of all ages how to protect their assets.
(September 9, 2019) — Cyber attacks that hit some state agencies in Georgia earlier this summer continue to ripple through the system, particularly for law enforcement and the courts. Meanwhile, security officials work to boost software safeguards and train thousands of employees to avoid triggering future attacks. … All Georgia government agencies should instruct employees not to open suspicious emails or documents, said Greg White, the director of the CIAS.
(August 29, 2019) — Greg White wants you to share information. Not necessarily with him, but with your business competitors and industry peers. The University of Texas at San Antonio computer science professor is leading the charge to create a nationwide network of information-sharing outfits – from mariachi groups to investment firms – in a strength-in-numbers approach to combating cyberattacks.
Municipalities are being attacked and their data is being held ransom by cybercriminals. Recently, 22 cities in Texas were hit with simultaneous ransomware attacks. The attack on the 22 cities was a hot topic during two recent back-to-back conferences in San Antonio: the CyberTexas Foundation conference and the Information Sharing and Analysis Organization Standards Organization’s third annual International Information Sharing Conference hosted by the CIAS at UTSA.
(August 21, 2019) — After hackers last week hijacked the data of 22 Texas towns, tech experts in San Antonio this week said the city isn’t impervious to such attacks — but it has one of the strongest cyber defenses of any U.S. community. “We still have a lot to do,” said Greg White, a leading regional cybersecurity expert and director of the CIAS at UTSA. “But we’re on the right path.”
(August 1, 2019) — The definition of what constitutes a cyber attack is a broad one, according to Greg White, executive director of the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
At the level of nation-state attacks, cyberwarfare could involve “attacking systems during peacetime—such as our power grid or election systems.”
The CIAS was established at UT San Antonio in June of 2001 as part of UT San Antonio’s creation of a cybersecurity program. The CIAS delivers quality research, training, K-12 education, and competition and exercise programs to advance organizational and community cybersecurity capabilities and collaboration.
