Obama budget prioritises US cyber security

Proposes 20 per cent spending increase on cyber security to $4.7bn for 2014

President Barack Obama has revealed plans to increase cyber security spending by 20 per cent, as the US attempts to protect itself against the growing threat of malicious attacks and cyber crime.

The increased funding for fighting hackers and criminals comes as part of Obama's budget proposal for the 2014 fiscal year which begins on 1 October.

The budget, which will need to pass through Congress for approval, calls for more cyber security experts to defend against attempted hacks and also aims to bolster computer defences for both government and private sector organisations.

Under the Obama administration's proposals, cyber security spending for the 2014 fiscal year would jump to $4.7bn (£3.1bn), up 20 per cent from the $3.9bn budget for 2013. That's despite Pentagon plans to cut overall spending by almost $4bn.

"There's hardly anything that the government is doing new these days that doesn't involve information technology," US chief information officer Steven Van Roekel told reporters.

In addition to boosting defences, the Pentagon said the budget will also be used to increase its offensive cyber capabilities.

At $4.7bn, the proposed cyber security budget is significantly higher than that of the UK, with government plans to invest £650m in cyber security measures across four years paling in comparison. It's a figure which Bob Ayers, former US cyber intelligence officer at the department of defence, referred to as "embarrassing".

"Let's not go round patting ourselves on the back, saying that government has recognised the problem and is actually spending money on it," he said. "Over 20 years ago the US government had an organised cyber security programme with 155 assigned staff and a $100m-a-year budget - and that was a continuing $100m a year," he told Computing.

"Now, 20 years later, the UK is spending a phenomenally smaller figure and starting into [its cyber security strategy] and we're saying this is good? No, this is embarrassing."

Earlier this year, Obama signed the much-anticipated "Cyber security Framework" order designed to protect key elements of US infrastructure against hacks and other cyber attacks.