EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In a new fiscal budget unveiled by the Biden administration, Federal Civilian agencies would receive $10.9 billion for cyber security during the fiscal year of 2023. This represents an 11% increase over the prior year.
Under the wide umbrella of Federal Civilian agencies, the Homeland Security Department (DHS) would receive the largest slice of the pie; $2.6 billion. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is embedded within the DHS, would receive the vast majority the aforementioned funds ($2.5 billion).
In the past, the Defense Department’s cyber budget requests have eclipsed the entire Civilian total, however the newly released budgetary documents failed to specify the exact Department of Defense request for 2023.
Budgetary funding: Key concepts
In the latest budgetary documents, the Administration explains that cyber security remains as a top priority, especially as adversaries seek new and creative ways to disrupt federal systems. Top experts have been brought in in order to advise, and to set a bold new course as the government overhauls past approaches to securing its information technology systems.
Although the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense tend to have the highest dollar figures, other agencies also submitted proposals and received influential levels of security-related funding.
For example, the Treasury’s budget for securing sensitive systems would increase by more than two-fold from fiscal year 2021 to fiscal 2023. In the earlier budget frame, $197 million was requested. Now, $215 million is being requested.
Further funding details
According to the documents, the US Justice Department would receive an additional $52 million in cyber security funding, with further funds directed towards cyber security hiring and the strengthening of security intelligence collection.
In massively accelerating cyber security efforts, the $65.8 billion topline budget would also support a federal push for IT modernization, the requirements for which were outlined in a recent executive order. Three-hundred million would be directed towards the Technology Modernization Fund.
Fact sheets released over the weekend also explain that emerging focuses, such as broadband connectivity across the country, will also receive funding.
Another historic milestone
In another historic move, the latest budget reserves $13 million for research pertaining to advanced communications. It also offers $187 million to the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the purpose of crafting new standards as they relate to the adoption of critical and emerging technologies. These include artificial intelligence, quantum sciences and biotechnologies.
The Office of Science, housed within the Department of Energy, has been allocated $7.8 billion to support information science and artificial intelligence research –with an emphasis on data analytics and advanced computing- to help prepare for potential future public health crises.
Five billion dollars has been proposed for advanced health research projects, which focus on driving “transformation innovation” in health technologies.
Summary
The latest funding recommendations prioritize technology and cyber security, with the aim of keeping the nation safer than ever before.
The White House notes that this budgetary proposal “shows the Administration’s commitment to ensuring these [cyber security and IT] requirements are implemented across the Federal Government.
For more information about the latest cyber security trends, click here. Lastly, to receive cutting-edge cyber security news, insights, best practices and analyses in your inbox each week, sign up for the CyberTalk.org newsletter.
