NTXIA and FBI Dallas Team Up for Workshops on Cyber, AI, and Other Potential Threats to North Texas

The FBI’s computer forensics lab in Dallas [Photo: Michael Samples]

North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) and FBI Dallas are developing a series of educational workshops and sessions to talk about the future of information and cybersecurity, threats to connected infrastructure, risk management strategies, and other issues that could affect North Texas.

“By teaming up with the FBI, we aim to empower our members with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate and mitigate the complexities of modern threats,” NTXIA Executive Director Jennifer Sanders said in a statement.

Sanders said that the partnership highlights the organization’s commitment “to fostering a secure and resilient innovation ecosystem in North Texas.”

“By engaging directly with the community, we can better understand local challenges and develop tailored solutions that ensure our cities and businesses thrive in a safe environment,” Sanders said. “This collaboration is particularly timely as North Texas continues to experience rapid technological growth, making risk management a top priority.”

North Texas Innovation Alliance is a 501(c)3 regional consortium of more than 40 municipalities, agencies, corporations, and academic institutions across North Texas, pursuing the goal of creating “the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country.”

Building resilience against cyber threats

North Texas is recognized as a rapidly advancing hub of urban innovation, NTXIA said, necessitating a focus on potential threats. Themes for the sessions will be driven by issues and questions brought forward by the ecosystem and academic and research communities.

The workshops will cover a range of critical topics, including safeguarding critical infrastructure, understanding the dual nature of AI as both an asset and a risk, cybersecurity and fraud prevention, digital literacy, corporate data and IP theft, combating misinformation, and ensuring supply chain transparency.

Challenges include safeguarding IP

The FBI said it will share its perspective on major challenges to safeguarding intellectual property and provide advice on proactive measures across the public, private, and academic sectors. Also, the agency said the series will highlight federal resources available to help prepare and protect communities and businesses against threats.

“Partnering with NTXIA allows us to extend our reach to critical segments of academia, public and private sector communities,” FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough said in a statement. “Together, we can enhance the region’s defenses against a spectrum of threats, ensuring that North Texas has the tools and knowledge to remain a leader in innovation.”

Yarbrough said the meetings come “at a pivotal moment, as the threats we face today are increasingly sophisticated.”

The mission is to educate and equip community members throughout North Texas.

Yarborough added, “By working closely with local stakeholders, we aim to provide the necessary resources and knowledge to build resilience against both insider and foreign malign threats.”

The series kicked off on June 5 with the first workshop focusing on artificial intelligence and cyber security.

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