Science board boosts cyber services

The National Science Board formally approved Aug. 3 the National Science

Foundation's Federal Cyber Services program, developed by NSF with the Clinton

administration to provide scholarships to information security students

in return for federal service.

Although the House Appropriations Committee failed to approve the $11.2

million request to start developing the program with an initial 100 scholarships

in the House version of NSF's 2001 appropriations bill, the agency is moving

ahead with plans this month to call universities to action.

It is estimated that 37,000 specialists in computer security systems

are needed in the government, but only 14 institutions are certified to

provide the training, NSB members said. NSF plans to release a solicitation

this month to universities for the Federal Cyber Services scholarship program.