President Obama is asking for $355 million in next year's budget to fund the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) cybersecurity work.
The budget proposal was outlined in an overview of Obama's desired federal spending plan for fiscal year 2010. The document stated that the $355 million is “targeted to make private and public sector cyberinfrastructure more resilient and secure.”
The funds will be used to “support the base operations of the National Cyber Security Division, as well as initiatives under the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) to protect our information networks,” according to the document.
The budget reflects the realization that “the threat to federal information technology networks is real, serious, and growing,” and that cybersecurity activities must take an “integrated and holistic approach to address current threats, anticipate future threats, and continue innovative public-private partnerships.”
In fiscal year 2009, cybersecurity under DHS was budgeted at $313.5 million, including $254.9 million for the department's share of CNCI, a largely secretive initiative proposed in January 2008 by President Bush.
The president's goal is to make sure all the cybersecurity efforts encompass the homeland security, intelligence, law enforcement, military and diplomatic mission areas of the U.S. government, according to the document.
