Homeland Security seeks major boost in cybersecurity funds

The Homeland Security Department has requested an unprecedented $936 million in funding for fiscal 2012 to grow the federal cybersecurity workforce and enhance network protections.

President Obama's budget would grant DHS, which last year assumed responsibility for governmentwide cyber operations, a $100 million increase over funding enacted the last time Congress passed full-year appropriations in 2010. House Republicans are aiming to lop off $60 million from the administration's fiscal 2011 request for the remainder of the year.

Still, the amount dedicated to protecting civilian networks pales in comparison to the $2.3 billion that the Defense Department is proposing to reinforce .mil networks and to coordinate with DHS through the National Security Agency.

Of the $936 million budgeted to maintain DHS' Information Protection and Information Security program, $124 million would go to employing 1,207 full-time personnel, 432 more staff than were compensated in 2010. The fiscal 2012 proposal includes a $24.5 million virtual cybersecurity training initiative, as well as $529,307 for strengthening the acquisition workforce through recruitment, training, retention and improved equipment.

Government, industry and academia have said the shortage of cyber specialists in the government is a national security problem. The nation might need about 30,000 security experts to safeguard cyberspace versus the 1,000 personnel currently staffed governmentwide, according to former federal officials.

According to a department fact sheet, the administration is requesting $233.6 million for speeding installation of the controversial Einstein 3 program that monitors traffic on federal computer networks for intrusions and responds to certain threats.

The budget also includes $1.3 million for joining forces with Defense to align efforts at thwarting attacks against civilian and military computer systems. Those activities have raised questions about the U.S. military's ability to control the public Internet. Defense is asking for $119 million to fully stand up the U.S. Cyber Command, which was established in May 2010.

Among the other cybersecurity spending priorities DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano outlined on Monday are combating cyber crime and targeting child pornography distributors.