DOD budget ups military cyber security spending

Leaders of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) plan to increase spending for cyber security and cyber warfare operations next year by 15 percent, or nearly a billion dollars, over current-year levels. The fiscal 2017 DOD budget calls for spending $6.7 billion for cyber operations, up from about $900 million this year for defensive and offensive cyberspace operations. The planned increase in cyber spending represents at least the second consecutive increase for cyber operations. U.S. military cyber strategy focuses on building cyber capabilities and organizations for DOD's three primary cyber missions: defending DOD networks and information; defending against cyber attacks of significant consequence; and providing cyber support to operational and contingency plans, DOD officials say. Military cyber planning has five goals: developing cyberspace capabilities; defending the DOD information network, securing DOD data, and mitigating cyber risks to DOD missions; preparing to defend U.S. interests from major cyber attacks; developing cyber options to control cyber warfare; and building international alliances to deter shared threats.