[ISN] Bush backs boost for cybersecurity

[InfoSec News]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2005/0207/web-lob-02-07-05.asp

By David Perera 
Feb. 7, 2005

President Bush's proposed budget for fiscal 2006 would spend 7 percent
more on information technology security year-over-year and add
cybersecurity to the stable of cross-agency lines of business.

The budget request calls for a 7.2 percent increase in IT security
spending for the coming year to $1.685 billion, up from the $1.572
billion congressional appropriations approved for fiscal 2005. The
greatest change, in percentage and absolute terms, occurs in the
Justice Department. Officials from that Cabinet agency want about
$254.6 million in fiscal 2006, or 20.7 percent more than the $210.9
million approved for this fiscal year.

Cybersecurity and information sharing are the two new cross-agency
lines of business, according to a recent presentation from the Office
of Management and Budget.

OMB officials postulate that consolidation of common cybersecurity
processes, services and technologies could improve government
performance while driving down costs.

Their decision to add two lines of business brings the number of such
efforts to seven. The original five cost-saving efforts were launched
in March 2004 as a way of consolidating federal agencies' back-office
functions by creating cross-agency service centers and implementing
common IT architectures.

Of the existing lines of business, federal health architecture has so
far been the most expensive in terms of development, modernization or
enhancement funds spent and requested. Officials managing that line of
business are spending $1.6 billion during fiscal 2005, and are
requesting $1.9 billion for fiscal 2006. The initial target
architecture for management of government health information is due by
the end of fiscal 2005.

Officials for the financial management line of business have spent or
are requesting less than half the health architecture effort. Fiscal
2005 spending amounts to $612 million; the fiscal 2006 request is for
$666 million. As part of the fiscal 2006 budget request, federal
officials selected four agencies to provide cross-agency financial
service management. Agencies may begin shutting off their own
financial systems this fiscal year.

The human resources management line of business is responsible for
$202 million in expenses this fiscal year and expects to spend $164
million in fiscal 2006. Federal officials publicly named today
cross-agency service providers for this line.

Officials for the case management line of business are spending $120
million this year and want to spend $152 million in fiscal 2006.