DOD revises cyber budget upward by $1 billion

Protecting the nation's security networks from cyber bandits and hackers will cost $1 billion more than the Defense Department previously thought, bringing the total to $3.2 billion, writes Aliya Sternstein in Nextgov.

The first request, announced in mid-February, included funding for department information assurance programs such as public-key infrastructure, digital certificates and projects such as the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative.

DOD spokeswoman April Cunningham told Nextgov that the previous number reflected only “a partial picture” of what was needed and that the revised cyber budget includes funding for about 75 activities involving communications security at specific agencies and would also cover the Defense Cyber Crime Center, U.S. Cyber Command, and science and technology investments tagged as cyber tools.