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The $19 billion for cybersecurity in the President's budget represents a 35% increase over the prior year's enacted spending. The biggest piece of the increase is a new $3.1 billion Information Technology Modernization Fund, which is a down payment on the comprehensive overhaul of Federal IT systems that must be undertaken in the coming years. It's a revolving fund that will enable agencies to invest money up front and realize the return over time by retiring, replacing, modernizing antiquated IT infrastructure, systems, and networks that are expansive to maintain, provide poor functionality, and are difficult to secure.
Detailed data on all areas of the President's FY 2017 Budget is available on Github here.
Everyone, whether government or private sector, faces threats from many malicious cyber actors, including foreign governments. As the President wrote in his Wall Street Journal op-ed on Tuesday: "These cyber threats are among the most urgent dangers to our economic and national security." That's why he launched the Administration's Cybersecurity National Action Plan this week.
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