The new President’s administration is asking Congress to allocate U.S. $9 billion in emergency funds to fortify the federal IT and cybersecurity infrastructure. Although cybersecurity didn’t get much attention during the presidential campaign, the move indicates that protecting federal systems from cyber attacks is a key priority and focus area for the new administration.
The spending proposal is part of a COVID-19 response package proposed by the Biden administration. The sense of urgency to strengthen cybersecurity stems from a massive data breach in December 2020, which affected a number of federal agencies, including the U.S. Treasury Department and U.S. Department of Commerce. It is believed Russian attackers exploited vulnerabilities in software used by the agencies, as well as numerous private enterprises.
“This is an urgent national security issue that cannot wait,” the Biden administration said in a fact sheet circulated in Washington, D.C. “The recent cybersecurity breaches of federal government data systems underscore the importance and urgency of strengthening U.S. cybersecurity capabilities.”
The $9 billion would fund the launch of new IT and cybersecurity initiatives by the Cybersecurity and Information Agency (CISA) and the General Services Administration (GSA). It would also be applied to cybersecurity upgrades at other federal agencies. An additional $1.2 billion would fund new security programs at the GSA, recruitment of new cybersecurity and IT experts, and improvements in the government’s security monitoring and incident response.
Tapping Expertise
In addition to the funding proposals, the administration has been building its cybersecurity team. President Biden appointed Michael Sulmeyer, form ..
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