The University of Texas at San Antonio's
UT San Antonio has been designated by the National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.
The Leader in Advancement of State and Community Cybersecurity
Since its establishment in 2001, the CIAS has been on the leading edge of designing, developing, and delivering high-quality, high-impact cybersecurity programs. The CIAS currently provides cybersecurity programs focused on training, workforce development, K-12 education, information sharing, competitions and simulations, exercises, and research.
25+ Years at UT San Antonio
Ponemon Institute study 2014
Universities.com ranking 2016
National Security Agency
Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research Cyber Operations
K-12 Education
Gaming
Committed to creating a culture of cybersecurity nationwide, the CIAS focuses on K-12 education that introduces students to cybersecurity principles through educational gaming and storytelling. Our goals are to create good cyber hygiene and awareness of cyber careers.
Played In
high-quality, high-impact
Cybersecurity Training
Courses
Seminars
Workshops
Our training efforts focus on improving overall cybersecurity awareness, technical capabilities, professional development and continuity plans. We’ve been helping professionals, organizations and communities prevent, detect, respond to and recover from cyber incidents for more than 20 years.
Reached
high-quality, high-impact
Competitions
For more than 20 years, the CIAS has hosted competitions such as the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, Panoply and HiveStorm, and (co-founded) CyberPatriot. The CIAS has been developing and conducting competition programs to educate, train and prepare individuals for the cybersecurity workforce since 2005.
2024
World Leader
Leading the ISAO Standards Organization since 2015 and helping SLTTs establish comprehensive cybersecurity programs, the CIAS actively engages the information sharing community to promote secure, rapid and widespread information sharing that helps detect and block cyber-attacks.
Information Sharing
CIAS-ISAO
National Cybersecurity
Preparedness Consortium
Filling the cybersecurity gap since 2004
A Collaboration of Five Universities
Testimonials
This Is What They Say
Press Coverage
We're in the News
BizJournals: Municipalities becoming more prominent target for cybercrime
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.
School district pays hefty ransom to resolve cyberattack
(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.
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 Championship (NCCDC), prevailing over nine other finalist teams to earn the coveted Alamo
Craig Newmark Philanthropies awards grant to CIAS Community Cybersecurity Clinic
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
StateScoop: UT San Antonio gets CISA grant to develop high-value asset cybersecurity
(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.
Online Gaming Tips for Parents
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.
Hackers can Hijack Your Home with these 10 Smart Devices
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.
Kens5.com: Understanding Cyber Attacks
(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.
Six (Easy) Cyber Security Tips for Travelers
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.
