Compromise Spending Bill Includes Cyber Goodies

A $1 trillion spending bill that would fund the government through September includes cybersecurity spending hikes at the Homeland Security Department, FBI and Secret Service.

Most prominently, the bill includes a $183 million boost for the DHS’ cyber operations division, raising that division's budget to a total of $1.8 billion. All but $400,000 of that money should go toward securing dot-gov networks and modernizing emergency communications, the bill states.

Lawmakers must approve the omnibus spending bill by Friday to avert a government shutdown.

» Get the best federal technology news and ideas delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here.

The bill also includes a $277 million spending bump for the FBI, which is targeted in part at combating cyber crime, and directs that part of a $92 million spending hike at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency go toward cyber crime investigations.

The bill includes a $112 million spending hike for the Secret Service, part of which will go toward investigating financial cyber crimes. A large portion of that spike will also go toward increased cost of presidential protection during the Trump administration.

Some lawmakers have suggested jettisoning the Secret Service’s historic cyber investigation responsibilities following a series of scandals.