Ernesto Ballesteros

Practicing Faculty

Biography

Ballesteros serves as the Cybersecurity Advisor for the Capitol Region of Texas, for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA). Prior to that he served the State of Texas, as the State Cybersecurity Coordinator and Chairman of the Texas Cybersecurity Council, at the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR), pursuant to Texas Government Code, Section 2054.511 and 512, where his primary charge was to “oversee cyber matters” for the State of Texas.

Prior to joining the DIR, Ballesteros‘ career spanned several industries, including: academia; financial services; private consulting; and public utilities. Of note, his prior professional roles included the following: Information Security Officer for the Alamo Colleges District, Information Security Officer (ISO) at Jefferson Bank; Information Security Consultant at Omnikron Systems, Inc; Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems and Security (CISS) at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU); Director of the Center for Information Assurance Management and Leadership at OLLU; and Information Systems Auditor for CPS Energy.

Academically, Ballesteros holds several degrees and professional certifications pertaining to cybersecurity, law, management information systems, and risk management. He holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and Security (CISS) from OLLU; an NSA/DHS designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE). Additionally, Ernesto completed his legal education at St. Mary’s University School of Law, where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD). Lastly, Ballesteros is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and CompTIA Security+ professional.