New US defense budget focuses heavily on cyberspace
The US Congress is set to vote on the country’s annual defense policy, which this year plans to spend $858 billion annually, a lot of which will be network security (opens in a new tab).
The policy includes more funding for so-called “hunting” missions, new leadership positions, and new capabilities for the President of the United States.
When it comes to the country’s “hunting” missions, run by Cyber Command, the organization will receive $44 million in 2023, to make them even more effective. The “hunting” missions are described as “strictly defensive” cyber operations that Cyber Command conducts at the request of partner countries. As part of these operations, the “Hunting” team observes and detects malicious cyber activity on host country networks.
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The bill also introduces the position of Assistant Secretary of Cyber Policy at the Department of Defense. The person in charge of this role will be tasked with, among other things, an annual briefing to lawmakers on how Cyber Command is collaborating with the National Security Agency.
Furthermore, the bill provides that the President of the United States can order activities in “foreign cyberspace” under certain circumstances – when “an active, systematic and is taking place in the cyberspace of a foreign power” being conducted against the US government or important agencies of the country. the infrastructure.
Finally, the State Department will create a new cybersecurity bureau, led by the newly inaugurated Ambassador, Nate Fick.
The United States has suffered a number of high-severity cyberattacks over the past few years, which has prompted the government to take a firmer stance against both domestic and foreign threat actors. Ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure and government agencies have been particularly damaging, including the attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which disrupted oil distribution and gas in several states of the United States.
Through the: CyberScoop (opens in a new tab)