US invests $3.1bn in cyber security makeover

The government in the US has set aside $3.1 billion to finance improvements to cyber security.

The plan is to replace a legacy infrastructure that is both high-maintenance and expensive.

The plan shows how today’s digital systems and services are bring used to improve IT in private and public organisations.

The Information Technology Modernisation Fund (ITMF) is being developed in line with the Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) in order to handle security challenges.

Chief information officer for the US, Tony Scott, said that a review of federal cyber security revealed that the government is dependent upon legacy systems, infrastructure, applications, and software, which are more expensive and not as easy to defend against attacks.

He said:

“Currently, civilian agencies spend 71% ($36bn) of their IT budget to maintain legacy IT investments, which limits funding for the development of more secure and efficient technology solutions.

“Ultimately, retiring or modernising vulnerable and inefficient legacy IT systems will make us more secure and save money.”

The government plans to utilise experts to advise on which replacement projects should be a priority.

Cyber security has not merely been an issue in the US, but has also been a thorn in the side of UK companies. There has been one high-profile case after another in recent years, with companies repeatedly suffering at the hands of cyber criminals. UK firms need to ensure that they are opening up cyber security jobs in order to cyber-proof their business.