Uncle Sam To Spend 7 Billion On Info Security

Federal information security spending will grow 20 percent over the next five years from $6.1 billion in fiscal year 2005 to $7.3 billion in fiscal year 2010, according to a report released today.

A leader in government market intelligence called INPUT says information security has become the single most critical component of information systems investments across all federal agencies and programs.

Since 2001, increased monitoring by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has prompted agencies to make significant progress toward securing all existing information systems.

And the most recent Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) report to Congress showed that federal agencies have made moderate headway in reviewing information systems and implementing security plans.

“Federal agencies are feeling the pressure from OMB to get their systems certified and accredited by the end of the year, which accounts for the majority of the spending increase. Without a detailed security plan, agencies will have little chance of receiving program funding,” added Chris Campbell, senior analyst, federal market analysis at INPUT.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.